Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has emerged as the overwhelming favourite among supporters of President William Ruto to retain the running-mate position in the 2027 General Election, according to a new opinion poll by TIFA Research.
The survey found that 55 per cent of Kenyans who want Ruto re-elected prefer Kindiki to remain his deputy, placing him far ahead of other politicians mentioned as possible candidates for the position.
Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga came a distant second with 12 per cent, while Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho followed with nine per cent.
Other politicians who featured in the survey included National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, ODM party leader Oburu Odinga and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, each attracting four per cent support.
Co-operatives and MSMEs Development Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya received two per cent, while Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru recorded one per cent.
The findings indicate a substantial gap between Kindiki and the other potential candidates, with his 55 per cent support more than four times Wanga’s rating.
“Among all those who indicate their support for President Ruto’s re-election, there is a clear majority preference for his current deputy, Prof. Kithure Kindiki (55%),” TIFA said.
The pollster further observed that Wanga, who was the second most popular choice, had “less than one-quarter of Kindiki’s support for this role (12%), with a number of others receiving far fewer mentions.”
The survey also established that nine per cent of Ruto supporters were undecided about who should deputise him in the next election, while two per cent did not respond.
The findings were based on responses from 633 people who indicated support for Ruto’s re-election, making the results specific to his supporters rather than the entire Kenyan electorate.
In its interpretation of the results, TIFA said Kindiki’s lead suggested that Ruto’s supporters favoured continuity in the Deputy Presidency rather than a change in running mate.
“Kindiki’s commanding lead suggests that Ruto’s supporters favour continuity in the Deputy Presidency rather than a change in running mate,” the research firm stated.
However, the pollster noted that the combined support for the other candidates pointed to some appetite among Ruto’s supporters for a broader political alliance.
The running-mate question comes against the backdrop of ongoing political negotiations and realignments ahead of the 2027 General Election, including discussions involving the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and sections of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
TIFA previously noted that ODM leaders negotiating with Ruto’s UDA had identified the Deputy President position as one of their key demands in a possible 2027 coalition arrangement, alongside zoning agreements in the party’s strongholds.
The latest findings therefore offer a snapshot of how Ruto’s own supporters view the possible selection of his running mate, at a time when different political figures and formations are being mentioned in discussions about the next election.
The survey was conducted between October 26 and November 5, 2026, through household, face-to-face interviews with 2,036 randomly selected Kenyan adults aged 18 and above across all 47 counties.
TIFA said the findings reflected public opinion during the period of data collection, noting that developments occurring during and after the survey could influence the results if the same questions were asked again.
