Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has declared that he will not give up his position without a fight, dismissing claims that he could be pushed out of office as political activity builds ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking to United Democratic Alliance (UDA) polling centre officials in Tharaka Nithi County on Friday, Kindiki said he remained firmly in office and challenged anyone who believed they could force him out, pointing to his determination to defend his position.
“Mimi fireman, saa hii kwa mapenzi ya Mwenyezi Mungu, mimi ni Naibu Rais wa Jamhuri ya Kenya. Unafikiri kuna mtu anaweza kunitoa kwa kiti, mimi nifikuzwe? Kama mjinga. Ati Kenya yote ikusanyike inifukuze. It is not possible. Mimi nitajitetea,” Kindiki said.
His remarks come against the backdrop of the 2024 removal of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua through an impeachment process, a development that marked the first time a Kenyan Deputy President was removed from office through Parliament.
The National Assembly passed the impeachment motion against Gachagua in October 2024 before the matter proceeded to the Senate, which upheld his removal. Parliament records show that 67 senators took part in the final vote, with Gachagua found guilty on five grounds.
Kindiki appeared to draw a clear line between his own situation and Gachagua's experience, while recalling the political difficulties President William Ruto faced during his time as deputy to retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.
He reminded the UDA officials that Ruto also faced efforts to remove him from the deputy presidency after his relationship with Kenyatta deteriorated, but managed to remain in office until the end of their administration.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki holds an engagement meeting with UDA polling centre officials in Irunduni, Tharaka Nithi County, on August 21, 2026. PHOTO/DPCS
“Unajua huyu Rais wetu hapo mwisho mwisho alikosana na boss wake, lakini walijaribu kumtoa William Ruto, wakashindwa. Tulikaza msimamo mpaka mwisho,” he said.
Ruto served as Kenyatta's deputy between 2013 and 2022. Their relationship became increasingly strained after the 2018 handshake between Kenyatta and former opposition leader Raila Odinga, with Ruto gradually distancing himself from the administration as he focused on his bid for the presidency in 2022.
Kindiki became Deputy President in November 2024 after Gachagua's removal, placing him at the centre of President Ruto's Kenya Kwanza administration.
His latest remarks come as political parties and leaders step up preparations for the 2027 election, with the ruling side and opposition groups working to strengthen their support bases in different parts of the country.
Gachagua, who has become one of the leading critics of the Ruto administration since his removal, is now linked to the Democracy for the Citizens Party and has been building his political support ahead of the next election.
Despite Kindiki's confidence, Article 150 of the Constitution provides a legal path for removing a Deputy President. The office-holder can be removed on grounds of physical or mental incapacity or through impeachment over gross violation of the Constitution or another law, serious reasons to believe that a crime has been committed, or gross misconduct.
The removal process follows the constitutional procedure applicable to the President, giving both the National Assembly and Senate roles in an impeachment.
Gachagua's case showed that the process can lead to the removal of a sitting Deputy President. Parliament described the 2024 Senate decision as the first instance in Kenya's history in which a holder of the office ceased to serve following impeachment.
Kindiki's declaration therefore places his political future firmly within the growing debate around the 2027 succession battle, as senior leaders position themselves and political alliances continue to take shape.
His comments are also likely to draw attention to his working relationship with Ruto and the strength of the political arrangements supporting the Kenya Kwanza administration as the country moves closer to the next General Election.