Details Emerge On Who Western Kenya Leaders Want Ruto To Pick As His Deputy In 2027

Deputy President Secretary Kithure Kindiki, widely regarded as the frontrunner to deputise President William Ruto on the 2027 ticket, has received an unwelcome signal from Western Kenya, where influential leaders are pushing for one of their own to occupy the deputy presidential seat.

Leaders from the region have come out openly to lobby for either Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi or National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula to be named Ruto's running mate, a push that directly challenges the assumption that Kindiki's position in the race is as secure as many in government circles have been suggesting.

The argument from Western Kenya leaders is rooted in political arithmetic and regional loyalty. Both Mudavadi and Wetangula delivered their communities to the Kenya Kwanza coalition in 2022, with the Luhya vote playing a significant role in Ruto's path to State House.

Leaders from the region appear to feel that contribution deserves to be recognised with the most visible reward available, a slot on the presidential ticket itself.

Mudavadi, who leads ANC and serves as Prime Cabinet Secretary, brings considerable political experience and a national profile that stretches back decades. Wetangula, currently Speaker of the National Assembly and Ford Kenya leader, commands deep roots in Bungoma and the broader Luhya belt.

For Kindiki, who has been building his profile through a high visibility tenure at the Interior docket, the emergence of this organised Western Kenya push is a reminder that the deputy presidential conversation is far from settled.

Ruto must ultimately make the calculation that every presidential candidate faces. Which running mate delivers the most votes, and which coalition can he least afford to disappoint? Western Kenya has just made its preference very clear.