A new poll by Trends and Insights For Africa (TIFA) has found that Deputy President Kithure Kindiki remains the overwhelming choice to deputise President William Ruto in 2027, even as ODM pushes hard to claim the running mate slot as part of its broad-based government arrangement.

According to the TIFA poll, Kindiki leads as Ruto’s preferred running mate with 59 per cent support, far ahead of Homa Bay Governor and ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga at 12 per cent. ODM party leader Oburu Oginga and Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho each garnered just 3 per cent, while Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi polled 2 per cent and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula came in at 1 per cent.

The numbers put Ruto in a difficult position heading into 2027.

ODM figures, led by Oburu Oginga, have insisted that the Deputy President slot is their rightful share for joining the broad-based government. Kindiki, however, has made it clear that his seat is not up for grabs.

On the ODM internal battle, the poll delivered another blow to the Oburu-led Linda Ground faction, with 73 per cent of ODM supporters backing Edwin Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi against just 24 per cent for Linda Ground.

The divisions within the party have deepened since the passing of Raila Odinga in October 2025, leaving a power vacuum that has triggered competing succession plans and ideological clashes over alignment with Ruto’s government.

On the opposition side, the Kalonzo-Matiang’i ticket leads all pairings at 31 per cent, narrowly ahead of the Kalonzo-Sifuna combination at 28 per cent.

The Gachagua-Kalonzo pairing follows at 25 per cent, while the Kalonzo-Karua ticket trails significantly at just 7 per cent.

TIFA noted, however, that while public opinion on pairings is clear, it remains to be seen how much influence these numbers will have on the final decisions made by the candidates themselves.