Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has declared that he will be President William Ruto’s running mate in next year’s General Election, dismissing speculation over the position and expressing confidence that the Kenya Kwanza ticket will secure a second term.
Speaking on Saturday during the 11th Annual Meru Dairy Farmers Field Day at the ASK Gitoro Showground in Meru County, Prof. Kindiki told supporters that the deputy presidency was not up for debate.
“I will be President William Ruto’s running mate in next year’s General Election so those salivating for the position should forget and I assure you that Ruto-Kindiki ticket would win the presidential election,” said Kindiki .
The Deputy President also urged leaders from the Mt Kenya region to set aside their political differences and engage in dialogue to preserve the region’s unity ahead of the polls.
He warned that divisions between leaders from Mt Kenya East and Mt Kenya West could weaken the region’s bargaining power and called for a united political front in support of the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Kindiki said the region had benefited from the government’s development agenda and should remain focused on strengthening its influence through unity rather than internal rivalry.
He further urged the Mt Kenya region to remain united and continue supporting the Kenya Kwanza administration, insisting that the region’s position in government is secure despite growing political debate over its future.
He reminded residents that the people of the Mt Kenya region have remained united for generations and should not allow politics to divide them.
“Those of us who come from this region, myself included, are one community and we have been one community since Independence so we have traded together and shared a common cultural heritage,” said the Deputy President.
At the same time Kindiki maintained that the Mt Kenya region would continue playing a central role in government and dismissed suggestions that its influence was diminishing.
He argued that the performance of the government could not be judged differently depending on where the Deputy President came from.
“The same government cannot be bad because the Deputy President comes from one region and become good when he comes from another region. It is not possible,” he lamented.
While emphasizing his message, Kindiki likened the government’s relationship with the region to a completed home that cannot be abandoned after years of investment.
“You do not build a house, complete it, furnish it and then abandon it to go and live in the forest. That is not possible because we are not going anywhere. We are in government to stay,” he told the cheering crowd.
The second in command also announced a series of measures aimed at boosting dairy farming, saying President William Ruto had directed the National Treasury to release Sh100 million this week to finance the second phase of the Meru Dairy animal feeds factory.
He further pledged an additional Sh100 million through the Supplementary Budget to facilitate the completion and expansion of the factory.
According to the DP, the expanded factory will significantly reduce the cost of livestock feeds, easing production costs for farmers across the region adding 50 kilogramme bags of animal feed is expected to retail at Sh2,800 compared to the current market price of between Sh3,100 and Sh3,200.
He noted that the reduction in feed costs would enable dairy farmers to retain more income from milk sales and improve the profitability of dairy farming.
“Because feed prices will reduce, farmers will retain more profit and we will continue introducing more measures to increase farmers’ earnings,” he said.
The Deputy President further announced improved milk prices for Meru Dairy farmers, revealing that beginning August 1, farmers will earn Sh52 per litre after deductions, up from the current Sh50.
He added that the annual milk bonus will also increase to Sh54 per litre, crediting government interventions for the steady rise in milk prices since Kenya Kwanza took office.
Addressing hundreds of farmers he noted that farmers previously earned between Sh33 and Sh37 per litre in 2022 adding that the government had lowered the price of sexed semen from the previous Sh7,000, making improved livestock breeding more affordable for farmers.
He acknowledged that demand for the technology had risen sharply and assured farmers that the government was working to improve its availability across the country.
Kindiki at the same praised the remarkable growth of the Meru Central Dairy Cooperative Union, saying it had expanded from a few cooperative societies into a major dairy organization comprising 168 cooperative societies and more than 161,000 registered farmers.
He noted that annual milk production had increased significantly from 83.6 million litres in 2020 to more than 220 million litres in 2025, describing the growth as evidence that government support and cooperative investments were transforming the dairy sector.
Kindiki challenged leaders seeking political support in Meru to focus on their development record instead of engaging in political rhetoric.
He said residents should evaluate leaders based on tangible achievements that improve livelihoods rather than empty promises or divisive politics.
“Those moving around Meru claiming to be important leaders should tell us what they have done for the people of Meru and how they helped increase milk prices for farmers,” he said.
Among those present were Meru Governor Isaac Mutuma, Senator Kathuri Murungi, Deputy Governor Linda Kiome, Meru Woman Representative Elizabeth Kailemia, South Imenti MP Shadrack Mwiti, Tigania West MP John Mutunga, Igembe South MP John Paul Mwirigi, North Imenti MP Rahim Dawood and Nominated MP Dorothy Muthoni.
The leaders appealed to voters in Mt Kenya West to reciprocate the political support they said leaders from Mt Kenya East had consistently received by backing the Ruto-Kindiki ticket in the next General Election.
Edited by John Majau
