Kenya: Kindiki Breaks Silence On Fake News Over Ruto Fallout

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Capital FM report from Nairobi dated July 28, 2026, reported that Kenya’s Deputy President Kithure Kindiki rejected online claims that he had lost major government duties. The report said social media posts had alleged President William Ruto shifted the deputy president’s role in chairing intergovernmental coordination to Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. Kindiki did not give a detailed rebuttal of the specific claims, but posted a brief message on X describing them as “fake news.”

According to the report, the denial comes amid heightened political speculation about Kindiki’s standing in government after the ruling United Democratic Alliance lost the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election. Capital FM said recent claims circulating online have suggested Kindiki is being sidelined, while some reports have alleged that influential actors want him replaced as Ruto’s running mate before the 2027 general election.

The article also noted that some allies of the president have questioned whether Kindiki would be the strongest deputy candidate in 2027, particularly over his ability to mobilize support in the Mt Kenya region. That region remains politically significant for Ruto and has been unsettled since the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who the report said still holds influence there. Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party won the Ol Kalou seat.

Capital FM reported that neither State House nor the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary had issued an official statement confirming the online claims. The episode matters because it reflects continuing uncertainty around alliances inside Kenya’s governing camp and the political contest for Mt Kenya support ahead of the next national election.