Mt. Kenya East elders endorse Kindiki for Ruto's 2027 running mate, back his future presidential bid

Elders from Mt. Kenya East have endorsed Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki as President William Ruto’s running mate in the 2027 General Election, signalling growing support for his retention as the country’s second-in-command and laying the groundwork for his future presidential ambitions.

The elders, drawn from Meru, Embu, Tharaka-Nithi, Kirinyaga and Isiolo, on Saturday gathered at Nembure Grounds in Manyatta Constituency, Embu County, where they declared their unity and called on their counterparts from Mt. Kenya West to back Kindiki’s political journey.

The elders have now begun mobilising support across the wider Mt. Kenya region, as discussions gather pace over who will deputise President Ruto in the 2027 election.

But beyond securing Kindiki another term as Deputy President, the elders made a more consequential declaration; backing him to eventually become the first President of Kenya from Mt. Kenya East.

In a resolution adopted by the Njuri Ncheke Supreme Council, Nyaangi Ndiriri, Kiama Kia Muembu, Ngome and Mwea Councils of Elders, the elders said Mt. Kenya East had for decades supported leaders from Mt. Kenya West and that the political debt was now due for repayment.

“We therefore believe that the time has come for the people of Mount Kenya West to reciprocate that solidarity by supporting Kithure Kindiki unconditionally as the Deputy President and in his future ambitions of becoming the first President of the Republic of Kenya from Mount Kenya East,” the elders said in a joint statement.

The elders said Kindiki’s elevation to the country’s second-highest office presented an “historic opportunity” for Mt. Kenya East to consolidate its unity, dignity and national voice.

They argued that the people of the region had historically stood behind leaders from Mt. Kenya West, including former presidents Jomo Kenyatta, Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta, as well as former Vice Presidents Joseph Karanja and George Saitoti.

The elders also cited their support for former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua during his two years in office.

They said the long history of political solidarity between the two sides of the mountain should now be reciprocated through support for Kindiki.

The elders have consequently mandated their councils to open structured engagements with their counterparts from Mt. Kenya West, including Kiama Kia Ma, in an effort to establish a common position on the political and development future of the wider region.

The proposed political cooperation will include support for the re-election of Ruto and Kindiki in 2027.

“The Councils of Elders shall pursue a framework through which the people of Mt. Kenya East and Mt. Kenya West can speak to one another with one voice on matters of mutual interest,” they stated.

The elders also appealed directly to residents of Mt. Kenya West, including those living in the diaspora, to recognise what they described as a historic moment and extend Kindiki the same “spirit of solidarity, loyalty and brotherhood” that Mt. Kenya East had shown leaders from the western side of the mountain.

The resolution places Kindiki at the centre of the elders’ proposed political engagement with the wider Mt. Kenya region, declaring him the recognised national leader through whom the people of Mt. Kenya East will engage on matters affecting the Mountain’s political and development future.

“Any individual, leader or community seeking to engage the people of Mt. Kenya on any matter, including politics, shall do so through Deputy President Kithure Kindiki,” the elders said.

At the same time, the elders threw their weight behind Ruto’s 2027 re-election bid, thanking the President for appointing Kindiki as his deputy.

They described Kindiki’s appointment as an honour to Mt. Kenya East and the wider Mt. Kenya region and pledged to support the President for a second term.

“We reaffirm our support for the President, Dr. William Samoei Ruto, and his administration, and pledge the support of the people of Mt. Kenya East towards his re-election as the President of the Republic of Kenya for the second term,” they added.

The elders’ declaration seeks to establish a political bargain between Mt. Kenya East and West, with the eastern side pledging continued support for Ruto and Kindiki while asking the western side to back Kindiki’s continued stay in the Deputy Presidency and, ultimately, his presidential ambitions.

The elders framed their position around a shared history stretching back nearly a century, saying communities in Embu, Meru and Tharaka Nithi, with historical and social links extending into Isiolo and Kirinyaga, had pursued their political, economic, social and cultural interests together.

They also invoked the region’s role in Kenya’s independence struggle, recognising freedom fighters from Mt. Kenya East and West who participated in the fight against colonial rule.

Beyond the succession politics, the elders used the occasion to put forward a development agenda for the region.

They appealed to Ruto to prioritise the construction of a dual carriageway from Makutano through Embu, Chuka, Meru and Maua, as well as the construction of the Nithi Bridge.

According to the elders, the projects would improve connectivity, enhance road safety, ease congestion and facilitate the movement of people and goods across Mt. Kenya East.

They said improved infrastructure would also promote trade and accelerate economic development in the region.

The elders further committed to extending their engagement beyond Mt. Kenya once unity within the Mountain has been strengthened.

They said they would engage councils of elders and other legitimate representatives from communities across Kenya to promote national cohesion, peaceful coexistence, equitable economic development and respect for constitutional institutions.

The elders concluded by declaring themselves one people with a shared destiny, reaffirming their support for Ruto’s development agenda and expressing confidence in Kindiki’s leadership.

They said their ultimate objective was to build a united Mt. Kenya region that would contribute to the peace, stability, development and prosperity of the country.