KINDIKI IN TROUBLE ?

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has found himself at the centre of fresh political speculation after reports emerged claiming that some of his key government coordination roles had been reassigned, reigniting debate over his standing within President William Ruto's administration and his place on the Kenya Kwanza ticket ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The controversy erupted after reports alleged that President Ruto, through Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, had designated Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi to oversee functions linked to the Intergovernmental Relations Act, a responsibility previously associated with the Deputy President's office.

The reports further claimed Mudavadi had become the government's principal link with county governments, fuelling claims that Kindiki's influence within the Executive had been reduced.

According to the reports, the changes stemmed from constitutional concerns raised during the operationalisation of the Intergovernmental Relations Act. Senators reportedly argued that Article 147 of the Constitution limits the Deputy President from carrying out functions that are legally reserved for a Cabinet Secretary, prompting recommendations that the President formally designate another office to administer the law.

The reports also claimed Kindiki had not chaired meetings of the Intergovernmental Coordination Committee since January and that a meeting he had convened earlier this year was later cancelled without explanation.

They further alleged that correspondence communicating the changes was sent to Mudavadi without copying the Deputy President, adding fuel to speculation over his position in government.

However, Kindiki swiftly dismissed the claims.
In a brief response posted on his official X account, the Deputy President simply wrote: "Fake news."

The government also moved quickly to reject the reports.
Head of Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy Dennis Itumbi termed the claims misleading, insisting that Kenya's intergovernmental relations framework is anchored in law and shared across several institutions rather than being vested in a single office.

He explained that the National and County Government Coordinating Summit, chaired by President Ruto, remains the apex intergovernmental organ, while the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC), chaired by Kindiki, continues to coordinate fiscal relations between the national and county governments.

Itumbi further clarified that the State Department for Devolution remains under the Deputy President's office, while the Prime Cabinet Secretary's role is largely to respond to parliamentary questions relating to the framework because the Parliamentary Affairs docket falls under his office.

"Each institution has a specific mandate. Suggesting that one office has taken over another's constitutional or statutory role is simply inaccurate. Facts do not change because we can write misleading headlines," Itumbi said.

In what many interpreted as an attempt to demonstrate that he remained firmly in charge of his responsibilities, Kindiki proceeded to chair a high-level inter-agency meeting at Harambee House Annex on preparations for the proposed Eastern Africa Oil Refinery.

The meeting brought together Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and heads of government agencies to review legal, regulatory and administrative preparations for the project, signalling that the Deputy President continued to undertake senior government assignments despite the swirling speculation.

The latest developments have unfolded against an increasingly tense political backdrop.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has repeatedly claimed that Kindiki is now experiencing the same treatment he faced before his impeachment, accusing President Ruto of allowing allies within government to publicly undermine his deputy.

Speaking during a recent media roundtable, Gachagua alleged that Kindiki was being subjected to sustained political pressure designed to force him out of office.
"Our son from Tharaka is suffering. I know what he is going through because I went through the same," Gachagua claimed.

He further alleged that President Ruto was encouraging attacks against Kindiki in an attempt to push him into resigning, while urging the Deputy President to "come back home" to the Mt. Kenya political fold if relations within government deteriorated further.

The debate over Kindiki's future has intensified following UDA's defeat in the Ol Kalou by-election, a result that renewed questions over whether he can successfully consolidate support in the vote-rich Mt. Kenya region ahead of 2027.

At the same time, pressure has continued to mount from ODM leaders, who have declared the Deputy President's position non-negotiable in any future power-sharing arrangement with UDA. Senior ODM figures have publicly backed Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya for the slot, while other names including Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga and Mining Cabinet Secretary Ali Hassan Joho have also been floated in political circles.

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, however, defended Kindiki's record, saying he had performed exceptionally well as Deputy President and deserved to remain on President Ruto's ticket.

Ruku nevertheless acknowledged that selecting a running mate remains the exclusive prerogative of the President, adding that Mt. Kenya leaders would continue supporting Ruto regardless of who is eventually picked.

Despite the growing speculation, Kindiki has remained publicly defiant.
Speaking during the 11th Annual Meru Dairy Farmers' Field Day in North Imenti, he dismissed suggestions that his place on the 2027 ticket was under threat.
"I want to state it clearly that I will be President William Ruto's running mate in next year's general elections. Those who are salivating for that position should forget it because the Ruto–Kindiki ticket will be on the ballot, and we shall win," he declared.

He also urged leaders in the Mt. Kenya region to remain united, arguing that regional cohesion would strengthen the area's bargaining power and accelerate development under the Kenya Kwanza administration.

For now, while reports of a redistribution of duties have generated intense political debate, neither State House nor the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary has issued any formal communication confirming that Kindiki has been stripped of any executive responsibilities.

No gazette notice or official executive directive has been made public, leaving the matter largely in the realm of competing political claims and denials as succession politics ahead of the 2027 General Election continue to gather momentum.