Kindiki top choice for Ruto running mate in 2027, survey shows

President William Ruto with Deputy President Kithure Kindiki arrive in Kirinyaga county for a farmers' engagement forum on April 29, 2026. /PCS

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has emerged as the most preferred running mate for President William Ruto ahead of the 2027 General Election, according to a new survey by TIFA Research.

Findings released on Thursday show that 59 per cent of respondents supporting Ruto’s re-election favour Kindiki as the President’s deputy in the next election cycle, placing him far ahead of other possible contenders within the broad-based camp.

The survey indicates that ODM national chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga came a distant second at 12 per cent, while ODM Party leader Oburu Odinga and Fisheries and Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho each garnered three per cent support.

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi polled two per cent, while National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula received one per cent support.

According to the pollsters, the findings suggest that Kindiki is viewed by a majority of Ruto supporters as the most politically acceptable and stable option for the deputy position heading into the 2027 race.

The survey also tested possible opposition pairings for the 2027 presidential contest, revealing mixed preferences among the united opposition supporters.

Among respondents backing opposition candidates, the pairing of Kalonzo Musyoka and Fred Matiang'i emerged as the most preferred alliance with 31 per cent support.

Another 28 per cent preferred a Kalonzo-Musyoka and Edwin Sifuna ticket, while 25 per cent backed a combination of Rigathi Gachagua and Kalonzo.

Only four per cent supported a Kalonzo-Musyoka and Martha Karua alliance.

The survey further showed that 40 per cent of Ruto supporters did not prefer any opposition pairing presented to them, while 32 per cent of undecided respondents also backed none of the tested combinations.

Tifa Research noted that the opposition pairings were tested without specifying who among the candidates would serve as president or deputy president.

Fieldwork for the survey was conducted between May 2 and May 11, 2026, through face-to-face household interviews carried out mainly in Swahili and English.

The nationally representative sample covered nine zones — Central Rift, Coast, Lower Eastern, Mt Kenya, Nairobi, Northern, Nyanza, South Rift and Western.

A total of 2,013 respondents were interviewed, with the survey carrying a margin of error of plus or minus 2.18 per cent, with larger margins applying to sub-samples.