East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Falhada Iman Dekow has thrown her weight behind Deputy President Kithure Kindiki to retain his position as President William Ruto’s running mate in the 2027 General Election.
Speaking to the press in Garissa town on Tuesday, the former nominated senator, who served in the Senate alongside Kindiki, described the DP as a sober and unifying leader who had demonstrated his ability to work effectively with President Ruto.
She said the relationship between Ruto and Kindiki remained strong, dismissing suggestions that disagreements could emerge between the two as the country moves closer to the 2027 polls.
“President Ruto and his Deputy, Kindiki, are joined at the hip and remain inseparable. Their partnership, loyalty and coordination continue to speak volumes,” Falhada said.
She said those hoping to see cracks between the President and his deputy would have to wait much longer.
She said the two leaders had continued to publicly project unity while steering the country towards the next election.
“Those waiting for cracks between the President and his deputy may have to keep waiting. The two have continued to publicly stand together as the country heads towards the 2027 political season. United they stand, and together they move,” she added.
Falhada said her confidence in Kindiki was informed not only by his current position but also by her experience working alongside him during their time in the Senate.
According to the EALA legislator, Kindiki had demonstrated sobriety, political restraint and an ability to bring people together.
She said these qualities were important for a person occupying the country’s second-highest office.
She further argued that Kindiki had proved himself capable of serving as deputy president and working within the administration without creating unnecessary political friction.
“DP Kindiki had earned his place through performance, loyalty and his ability to work with the President. I am absolutely confident that he will remain Ruto’s choice when the 2027 presidential ticket is finally unveiled,” she said.
Her remarks come as the contest for Ruto’s running-mate position increasingly becomes one of the sensitive political questions ahead of the 2027 election.
The debate has intensified following the working relationship between Ruto’s UDA and the ODM.
Sections of ODM are demanding that the party be allocated the deputy president’s position should the two parties enter into a formal electoral arrangement.
ODM leaders have in recent weeks insisted that any 2027 political pact with UDA should be based on a 50-50 power-sharing formula, with the deputy president’s position forming part of the party’s demands.
Several senior ODM figures have subsequently been mentioned as potential contenders for the position, including Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho and Co-operatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya, alongside other senior party figures.
The demand has opened a political contest over a position currently occupied by Kindiki, who assumed office after the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Kindiki, for his part, has signalled that he intends to remain a serious contender for the position rather than surrender it as coalition negotiations take shape.
Recent political reporting has also highlighted efforts by his allies to consolidate support for him ahead of the 2027 contest.
The Deputy President has embarked on a mobilisation drive that has been interpreted by his allies as an effort to consolidate his political standing, particularly within the Mt Kenya region, ahead of the approaching electoral contest.
At the weekend, hundreds of elders from parts of Mt Kenya East gathered in Embu and declared support for Ruto’s re-election while backing Kindiki as a key political figure in the 2027 contest.
