Mt Kenya leaders threaten broad-based govt exit if Kindiki is stripped of deputy president post
By Mabonga Makhanu, February 13, 2026A section of leaders from Mt Kenya aligned with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party have threatened to leave the broad-based government if talks to strip Kithure Kindiki of his deputy president slot persist.
The calls were led by the Tharaka Nithi governor, Muthomi Njuki, on Friday, February 13, 2026, who said that Kindiki’s position is non-negotiable and should not be touched.
He further stated that if the Deputy President serving under William Ruto must come from a different party, such as the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), then they would only compromise by allowing Kindiki to join ODM, terming that as the irreducible minimum they could accept.
“The only compromise we can make is to let Kindiki join ODM if it’s a must, the running mate to be from ODM, but the deputy president position is non-negotiable,” the governor made it clear.
John Kawanjiku, the Kiambaa MP, also said during a forum in Thika that if Kindiki is touched, they will bolt out of the broad-based setup and the Kenya Kwanza government, insisting that his position is non-negotiable.
“Kitu inaweza fanya tutoke hio muungano na serikali ni wakiguza kindiki,” Kawanjiku stated.
Alice Ng’ang’a, the Thika Town MP, echoed similar sentiments, maintaining that Kindiki’s position is non-negotiable.
Ruku’s caution
In a video shared by outspoken lawyer and political strategist Saitabao Kanchory on Friday, February 13, 2026, Ruku has called on the members of the ODM party to shun their ambitions for the deputy president, saying that, as much as the Mount Kenya region has accepted to be in the broad-based government, the position will be held by Kithure Kindiki until the year 2032.
He has urged the ODM party to consider negotiating for the position after Kindiki has completed that period.
This comes after ODM party leader Oburu Oginga clarified that ODM will settle for nothing less than the deputy president position. He added that ODM holds no vendetta against Kindiki but insisted that the deputy presidential slot should not slip away from the party.