By SHABAN MAKOKHA
March 4, 2026| The battle for Kenya’s Deputy President position has escalated into a high-stakes political contest ahead of the 2027 elections, blending legal battles, coalition tensions, and regional power plays.
Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula, also UDA’s Western region deputy coordinator, has now waded into the fray—warning leaders in the broad-based government to stop fighting over the DP seat and focus on securing President William Ruto’s re-election first.
“The rhetoric has shifted from governance to ‘ownership’ and ‘non-negotiable rights.’ We must stop fighting over the custody of an unborn child and focus on making the woman pregnant first,” Savula cautioned, speaking in Lugari Constituency.
The warning comes as two powerful political blocs dig in. Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has openly declared it will only settle for the DP slot in any 2027 pact with UDA. Party leader Oburu Odinga made the position clear last month: “ODM will not be a junior partner. Our support for Ruto must be reciprocated with a serious position at the top.”
But Mt Kenya leaders, particularly from the eastern region, have fired back. They insist the DP seat is their regional entitlement until 2032—pointing to their 2022 electoral backing of Ruto. Allies of Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki, including Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku and Nominated MP Sabina Chege, have declared the seat “non-negotiable.”
“Anyone dreaming of taking it to another region should wake up. We installed Prof Kindiki until after 2032, and that is final,” Ruku warned.
Chege went further, hinting that Kindiki is next in line after Ruto—a direct rebuff to ODM’s ambitions.
The clash marks a turning point: what began as a succession debate is now framed in territorial terms, with both sides using ownership language that raises the stakes for any future power-sharing deal.
Kindiki was sworn in as DP on November 1, 2024, following the impeachment of his predecessor Rigathi Gachagua. But with both allies and rivals openly positioning for 2027, his tenure remains politically contested.
As Savula put it: the real fight should be winning the presidency first. But for now, the battle over the number two seat is stealing the show.