Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru is the most preferred running mate for President William Ruto in 2027, ahead of the sitting Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, according to a Swiss Poll International survey released on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.

The poll, reported by The Standard and Tuko, interviewed 6,146 Kenyans across all eight regions between October 19 and 22 and reports a margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points at a 95 per cent confidence level.

The running-mate question

Asked whom they would like Ruto to pick as his deputy, respondents ranked the contenders as follows:

  • Anne Waiguru, Kirinyaga Governor: 43 per cent
  • Kithure Kindiki, Deputy President: 30 per cent
  • Gladys Wanga, Homa Bay Governor: 13 per cent
  • Wycliffe Oparanya, Co-operatives CS: 6 per cent
  • Hassan Joho, Mining and Blue Economy CS: 4 per cent
  • Others: 4 per cent

The President has not said who will be on his ticket, and the choice is his alone under the Constitution. The finding nonetheless adds to debate in Kenya Kwanza circles over whether Kindiki, who replaced Rigathi Gachagua in 2024, will keep the slot.

Presidential preference

In the same survey, Ruto led presidential preference with 40.2 per cent. Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka followed at 19.7 per cent and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna at 17.6 per cent. Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua had 7.5 per cent, former Interior CS Fred Matiang'i 6 per cent and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro 4.5 per cent, with 3.3 per cent undecided.

The numbers suggest that the opposition vote remains split among several leaders, a point Gachagua and his allies have acknowledged as they try to agree on a single candidate.

The survey also found that 45 per cent of respondents believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, against 42 per cent who say it is on the right track, with 13 per cent unsure, according to The Standard.

Read with caution

Opinion polls in the run-up to 2027 have produced sharply different results depending on the firm, method and question asked.

  • An Infotrak survey earlier this year put Kindiki ahead as preferred running mate with 34 per cent.
  • A Politrack Africa online survey released in June ranked Waiguru first at 30.9 per cent, Kindiki at 19.3 per cent and Wanga at 17 per cent, on a question about who would best help Ruto win.
  • A Politrack poll published at the start of October put Ruto at 45.1 per cent, Sifuna at 19.6 per cent and Kalonzo at 10.3 per cent.
  • Swiss Poll's own August survey had Ruto at 31 per cent and Kalonzo at 22 per cent.

The General Election is set for August 10, 2027, and alliances on both sides are still being formed, meaning the standings could shift considerably in the coming months.

Photos: Wikimedia Commons (public domain); The Standard. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.