Kindiki: We will fight for our position in govt, we are not joining opposition
By Kenneth Mwenda, July 25, 2026Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has urged leaders from Meru and Mt Kenya East to remain inside the Kenya Kwanza government and fight for their interests instead of moving to the opposition.
Speaking in Meru County on Saturday, July 25, 2026, Kindiki rejected calls by some leaders to abandon President William Ruto’s administration, saying they had invested heavily in building the government and should not walk away.
He said the government should not be judged differently depending on where the deputy president comes from, arguing that the administration remains the same regardless of its leaders’ regional origins.
“When the deputy president comes from this side, then the government becomes bad, but when the deputy president comes from another side, it becomes good. The same government cannot be bad because the deputy president has come from here,” Kindiki said.
He repeated his point while addressing residents, asking whether such an argument made sense. The crowd responded as he insisted that Meru leaders should continue working from within the government.
“This is our government, we are not leaving. We will fight from here because this is our government,” Kindiki said.
The deputy president acknowledged that the Kenya Kwanza administration has expanded, with leaders from other political backgrounds joining the government. He mentioned former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and other allies who have recently worked with President Ruto, saying they had been welcomed but that the original team would remain part of the administration.
“I know we have increased. People like Oparanya have come and they have been welcomed. But we are not leaving. We cannot abandon it. We will fight while inside because this is our government,” he said.
Kindiki also dismissed the idea of leaving after helping build the administration, comparing it to constructing and abandoning a house after completing it.
“You do not build a house, complete it, furnish it, and then abandon it and go to live in the forest,” he said. “You build the house, put plaster, put a sofa set and a TV, then instead of enjoying it, you leave and go to live in the forest. I cannot do that.”
His remarks appeared directed at political figures who have moved away from President Ruto’s camp and are now organising from the opposition.
Opposition ranks already filled
Kindiki said those who moved to other political formations had the right to make their choices but argued that the opposition side already had many senior figures occupying influential positions.
“Hawa ndugu zangu ni haki yao kuenda mahali wameenda,” he said, acknowledging the freedom of his political opponents.
However, he questioned the space available for new entrants, saying:
“On that side, number one has gone, number two has gone, number three has gone, number five, number ten. Now we are number twenty on the other side.”
The deputy president argued that staying within government gives Mt Kenya East leaders a stronger position to push for development and future political influence.
Kindiki also linked his remarks to the 2027 General Election, saying President Ruto would be completing his final term and that next year’s presidential vote would be the last one he campaigns for.
“Next year the vote we give President Ruto is the last one. After that, he will retire, like Honourable Uhuru Kenyatta, and join President Uhuru in retirement,” Kindiki said.
He added that discussions with other leaders from the region would continue as they consider their political direction after Ruto’s presidency.
Kindiki’s remarks came a day after Meru Members of Parliament warned the national government over delayed projects and unfulfilled promises in the county. The MPs, speaking through Tigania East MP Mpuri Aburi, said residents were becoming impatient over commitments made to areas including Imenti South, Tigania East and Imenti Central.
The legislators said continued support for the government would depend on whether it delivers on promises made to voters.
The tension highlights growing political discussions in Mt Kenya East ahead of the 2027 General Election. While some leaders have raised concerns over government delivery, Kindiki’s message was that the region should remain within the administration and seek solutions from inside rather than join the opposition.