Kindiki: 2027 polls and Mt. Kenya aside, my focus is on delivering for Kenyans

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has refrained from commenting on whether he would run for the presidency in 2027, should President William Ruto choose not to seek re-election.

Speaking on Thursday during a joint media interview, Kindiki dismissed the question as unfair, stressing that his current focus is on his responsibilities as the Deputy President.

"This question is very unfair. Am I allowed to complain? It is an unfair question because I have just been entrusted with a very serious and grave national responsibility. What is weighing in my mind now is the desire to take charge of those obligations," Kindiki said.

"The desires of the people of Kenya and the President are so high. If I started occupying myself with ideas of what would happen then I would be the most unsuitable person to be seated before you here today."

Kindiki was again pressed on lessons he might have learned from the fall of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who was once seen as a close ally of President Ruto.

Gachagua's tenure as DP was marked by a dramatic fallout with Ruto, leading to tensions in the political landscape.

"Clearly there are lessons you must have learned from Gachagua's tenure in office... what lessons are those?" a journalist posed.

Once again, Kindiki sidestepped the query, expressing his unwillingness to criticise his predecessor.

"Leadership is defined by certain ethos and parameters, and I want to persuade you to allow me not to discuss my brother Rigathi Gachagua because he is my friend and you have not heard me badmouth him anywhere before when he was in this office or even when he left office... so please spare me," Kindiki said.

"It is not right. It is wrong to start comparing myself with a predecessor or a person who would occupy the position in future."

When asked if his caution stemmed from concerns over Mt. Kenya's sentiments towards Gachagua's impeachment, Kindiki reiterated that he does not need to "antagonise anybody."

"I don’t have to antagonise anybody... for what?" he said.

The Deputy President also dismissed the notion that the Deputy President's office is "cursed," citing the difficulties previous holders of the office have faced in maintaining good relations with their presidents or in pursuing future presidential bids.

"I do not believe any seat is cursed; I don’t think it is a priority to start thinking whether I will survive in this seat or not. As I have said, what is weighing in my mind is to ensure that the challenges I have been tasked with addressing are under control," Kindiki said.

Mt Kenya kingpin

On the issue of Mt. Kenya's political leadership, Kindiki declined to engage in discussions about his position as the region's political kingpin. The role, previously associated with former President Uhuru Kenyatta, is now the subject of much speculation.

When asked if he is now the undisputed leader of Mt. Kenya, Kindiki simply replied, "Which office is that?"

He rejected the notion of a "kingpin" in Mt. Kenya, noting that there is no such formal position in the political structure. "I don’t understand it because there is no office like that," he said.

He further clarified the endorsement he received from Central Kenya MPs when he was Interior Cabinet Secretary, saying their support came out of frustration due to strained relations with Gachagua.

Kindiki, however, noted that as Deputy President, he now represents all regions of the country, not just his own.

"To the best of my recollection, those MPs had expressed frustrations in getting their constituency development agenda through to government because of the breakdown of relationships they had with the former occupier of this office, and therefore they asked me whether I could convey their needs to the President," Kindiki said.

"But whether or not they will continue asking me to convey their messages is up to them to decide."

He stated that citizens from all regions, including his own, have the right to use his office to express their needs and interests to the government.

"That region, like other regions in Kenya, has very many elected leaders. The office I occupy now as DP is an office of the Republic, unlike other leaders, for example, who have a sub-national mandate. Therefore, the way I see it, is that the people from the region where I was born and raised have a right just like the people from the Coast, Western, Nyanza, Rift Valley, North Eastern to use this office to channel their needs and interests to the government," he said.