Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has broken his silence on the reports claiming that he has fallen out with President William Ruto.

The second in command, in a brief but pointed response shared on his official X account on the night of Monday, July 27, 2026, dismissed reports suggesting he was not in good terms with President Ruto after claims emerged that he had been stripped of key government coordination responsibilities in a fresh administrative shake-up.

“Fake news,” Kindiki wrote on X.

The statement came after a local daily published a report claiming that President Ruto, through Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, had reassigned the government’s intergovernmental coordination function from the Deputy President’s office to Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.

The newspaper, in a splash carried in its Tuesday, July 28, 2026, publication, described the move as a significant shift within the Kenya Kwanza administration and linked it to growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Kindiki, however, did not elaborate on his denial or address the specific claims contained in the report, but flagged then as fake.

Report fuels succession speculation

The report claimed that the changes would see Mudavadi become the principal link between the national government and county governments on intergovernmental affairs, a role previously associated with the Deputy President’s office.

The report further suggested the restructuring reflected an evolving balance of responsibilities within the Executive, although the Presidency had not issued an official statement confirming the alleged changes at the time of publication.

Kindiki’s swift dismissal has now cast doubt on the claims and is likely to intensify public interest over whether any formal reorganisation has actually taken place.

Political tensions under scrutiny

The reports surfaced against the backdrop of heightened political activity within Kenya Kwanza as leaders position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.

Since replacing former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua following his impeachment in late 2024, Kindiki has maintained a relatively low-profile political approach while remaining one of President Ruto’s closest allies.

Even so, political observers have increasingly scrutinised the distribution of responsibilities within the Executive, particularly as Mudavadi’s role as Prime Cabinet Secretary has expanded to include several high-level government coordination assignments.

Mudavadi has also remained at the centre of Kenya’s foreign policy, regional diplomacy and implementation of various cross-government initiatives.

No official communication

As of Tuesday, neither State House nor the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary had released any official communication confirming a transfer of the intergovernmental coordination function.

Similarly, no gazette notice or executive directive detailing such changes had been made public.

Kindiki’s one-line response is, therefore, the clearest public reaction from the Deputy President’s office since the publication of the report.

Executive roles

Under Article 147 of the Constitution, the Deputy President performs functions assigned by the President and may exercise powers delegated by the Head of State.

Over the years, presidents have allocated different coordination responsibilities to their deputies through executive orders and administrative directives, meaning adjustments to portfolios are not uncommon within government.

Whether the reported changes amount to a routine administrative realignment or are merely the subject of inaccurate reporting remains unclear.