Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has taken aim at former President Uhuru Kenyatta, accusing him of waging a personal vendetta against President William Ruto rather than pursuing any genuine political cause. Duale argued that Uhuru’s failed bid to swing the outcome of the 2022 election proved he no longer commands the influence needed to shape the 2027 race either.
Duale said the presidency does not belong to any single region, pushing back against suggestions that Mt Kenya must reclaim the seat in the coming election cycles. “There is no ownership of the presidency, and no region should dictate who leads the nation,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary went further, declaring that President Ruto is positioned to win a second term in 2027 with Deputy President Kithure Kindiki again on the ticket, and that Kindiki should then succeed him in 2032. He dismissed criticism that Kindiki, who hails from the small Tharaka sub-tribe, would struggle to unite Mt Kenya behind his candidacy, arguing that political merit should not be overridden by ethnic arithmetic.
Duale also revisited the 2022 campaign, claiming that delegates within the then-ruling coalition had initially preferred Kindiki over Rigathi Gachagua as running mate, and that Gachagua only secured the slot after what he described as intense political pressure. Gachagua was later removed from office through an impeachment process, a rupture that has continued to shape realignments within Mt Kenya politics.
Duale’s remarks were echoed by Tharaka-Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki, who reaffirmed his county’s backing for Kindiki’s retention as deputy president in 2027 and defended the broader Mt Kenya region’s support for the Kenya Kwanza administration.
The comments add to intensifying jostling within Kenya Kwanza and among opposition figures over who will control the succession conversation ahead of 2027, with Uhuru Kenyatta’s political re-entry, and his relationship with his Mt Kenya base, remaining a persistent flashpoint. Analysts say the 2032 talk, still years out, is really about consolidating control of the 2027 ticket first.