Kenya could be moving closer to having a woman occupy the deputy president’s office, with a new poll showing that a majority of respondents are open to the prospect.
The Politrack Africa survey found that 53 per cent of respondents said they were ready for Kenya to have its first female deputy president, although 48 per cent expressed reservations about such a possibility.
The poll, released on Thursday, showed that 16 per cent were “very ready” to have a woman serve as deputy president, while 36 per cent were “somewhat ready”.
At the other end, 27 per cent said they were “not very ready”, while 21 per cent said they were “not at all ready”.
Politrack's four response categories add up to 100 per cent, although the research firm's accompanying media release gives the combined readiness figure as 53 per cent.
Among respondents who were open to a woman taking the position, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru emerged as the most preferred candidate at 36 per cent.
She was followed by former Justice Minister Martha Karua at 27 per cent and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga at 15 per cent.
Another nine per cent declined to state their preference, while seven per cent said they were not sufficiently familiar with the candidates to make a choice. Other candidates accounted for six per cent.
The findings were based on a survey conducted between September 15 and 25, 2026, through a text-based technology platform that invited selected users to take part and respond to the questions at their convenience.
A total of 20,419 respondents participated, with the sample drawn from all 47 counties.
According to Politrack, sampling was organised at county level, with every county providing a sample it considered suitable for both county and national analysis.
For the national results, the research firm said it weighted the findings based on each county's share of the registered-voter population. The voter population used for the weighting stood at 22,102,532.
Politrack placed the poll's margin of error at plus or minus three percentage points and its confidence level at 95 per cent.
The latest survey adds to previous research on whether Kenyans are prepared to see women take up top positions in the executive.
In March 2022, a TIFA Research survey of 1,541 respondents found that 78 per cent believed Kenya would have a female deputy president. The study had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.49 percentage points.
The same survey found that 19 per cent of respondents supported a woman being selected as the running mate of either William Ruto or Raila Odinga during the 2022 presidential contest.
The question gained greater prominence during that election after the late Odinga picked Karua as his running mate, making her the first woman to feature on the presidential ticket of one of the two leading contenders in a Kenyan presidential election.
Karua, however, did not become deputy president after Ruto won the election and formed the government with Rigathi Gachagua as his deputy.
Subsequent surveys have also examined public opinion on women serving in senior executive positions.
An Infotrak poll released in July 2026, based on 3,000 respondents, asked participants to identify their preferred running mate for Ruto in the broad-based government. Waiguru received three per cent, while Wanga attracted 11 per cent. Thirty-seven per cent were either unsure or did not know who they preferred.
Another Infotrak survey conducted in October 2024 among 893 respondents who were aware of the impeachment proceedings against then Deputy President Gachagua asked who should take over if he were removed from office.
Waiguru received five per cent in that poll, while Wanga recorded four per cent.
The latest Politrack survey therefore presents a different pattern of preference, with Waiguru at 36 per cent, Karua at 27 per cent and Wanga at 15 per cent among the women included in the question.
Overall, the findings point to a divided public view, with the poll showing a majority expressing some level of openness to a female deputy president while a sizeable share remains hesitant about Kenya taking that step.