10 Brains Behind Ruto’s Plan to Win a Second Term

President William Ruto is preparing for the 2027 General Election with a team of political allies and government officials helping to build support for his second-term bid.

Some of these leaders played major roles in Ruto’s 2022 campaign, while others joined his political camp later through the broad-based government arrangement.

Their roles include mobilising voters in key regions, promoting government projects, managing political networks and communicating the administration’s agenda.

10 Leaders Working to Help Ruto Secure Second Term

The following are 10 leaders helping the president shape his re-election strategy.

1) Musalia Mudavadi

He is the current Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, and is one of Ruto’s key political allies in Western Kenya.

Mudavadi joined Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza alliance ahead of the 2022 election after making his famous “earthquake” announcement at the ANC convention in January 2022, a decision that helped Ruto expand his coalition beyond his Rift Valley base.

In the 2022 election, Ruto won Bungoma with 255,906 votes, about 63.16%, but lost Kakamega, Vihiga and Busia to Raila Odinga, who secured 357,857 votes in Kakamega, 114,714 in Vihiga and 226,042 in Busia, compared with Ruto’s 141,166, 67,633 and 48,801 respectively.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has since continued to campaign for the President’s re-election as he urged voters to support the President while maintaining peaceful and democratic elections.

He has maintained that he intends to pursue the presidency in 2032 but does not want the 2027 running-mate position, saying his support for Ruto is not conditional on a government position.

2) Kithure Kindiki

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki became Deputy President in November 2024 following the removal of Rigathi Gachagua.

Before taking the position, he served as Interior Cabinet Secretary and was one of the senior officials in Ruto’s administration.

However, his relationship with the president goes back to the 2022 election, when he served as Ruto’s chief presidential agent.

Kindiki played a role in the verification and collation of presidential results at the Bomas of Kenya national tallying centre.

As Deputy President, Kindiki has now taken on a more visible political role in consolidating support for Ruto ahead of the 2027 election.

He is now using his position as Deputy President to consolidate support for Ruto in Mount Kenya East while promoting the administration’s development record.

On August 21, 2026, Kindiki hosted UDA elected grassroots leaders from Tharaka Nithi County at his Irunduni residence for a consultative meeting focused on party coordination and grassroots mobilisation.

The meeting highlighted Kindiki’s role in rebuilding UDA’s grassroots network in a region that remains strategically important to Ruto’s re-election bid.

Also Read: ODM Senator Says It Is Easier to Be in Opposition Than Support Ruto Government

3)Gladys Wanga

Homa Bay Governor and ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga is another political leader who has one of the most prominent ODM supporters of the broad-based government.

Although Wanga did not campaign for Ruto in 2022, her political importance to Ruto’s reelection comes from her position within ODM and her influence in Nyanza.

During the Gen Z protests, Wanga criticised political leaders whom she accused of exploiting youth anger for political purposes.

She urged young people and communities to avoid destructive protests and use elections as the avenue for political change.

Wanga has also rejected efforts by Gachagua to build an alliance with ODM. In June 2026, she publicly said ODM would work with Ruto towards the 2027 election and argued that the President deserved a second term.

She has also defended the broad-based government by pointing to development projects reaching regions such as Homa Bay.

4)Aden Duale

He is one of Ruto’s longest-serving political allies, and he currently serves as the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Health.

His political relationship with Ruto dates back to their days in ODM before the two later worked together in the United Republican Party.

During the 2022 election, Duale was one of Ruto’s leading campaigners in Northern Kenya, where he played a role in mobilising support in Garissa and the wider North Eastern region.

He also helped promote the Kenya Kwanza economic agenda through regional meetings and campaign events.

Duale has again become a vocal supporter of Ruto’s 2027 bid, where he has led leaders in Garissa in backing the President and repeatedly saying that Kenya Kwanza has the numbers to secure a second term.

According to the CS, his argument is largely based on government performance. He has cited the Social Health Authority, fertiliser distribution, the revival of sugar factories, and economic stability as examples of what he believes the administration has achieved.

5) Josephat Nanok

Josephat Nanok currently serves as State House Comptroller but previously served as Director-General of Ruto’s presidential campaign in 2022.

Nanok had previously been a senior ODM politician and ally of Raila Odinga before moving to Ruto’s camp.

His defection gave Ruto an important political figure in Turkana and among pastoralist communities. This is because, as campaign director-general, Nanok helped coordinate the president’s nationwide campaign operations, schedules, and political strategy.

He also campaigned against the Building Bridges Initiative, putting him firmly in Ruto’s political camp before the 2022 election.

Therefore, his current position at State House places him close to the centre of government. He is part of the team coordinating the President’s engagements and administrative operations as Ruto prepares for another election.

 6)Oburu Oginga

Oburu Oginga is one of the figures who illustrate the political changes that have taken place since the 2022 election.

He was part of Raila Odinga’s ODM political camp during the 2022 election and was not involved in Ruto’s campaign.

However, recently Oburu’s bid for Ruto’s re-election has emerged after ODM entered into a broad-based working arrangement with the government.

The ODM party leader has also defended the cooperation while maintaining that ODM remains an independent political party.

During the 2025 Gen Z protest, Oburu supported calling for young Kenyans to pursue political change through peaceful engagement rather than destructive protests.

Additionally, ODM leaders have also rejected efforts by Gachagua to build an alliance with the party, a decision which gives Ruto’s administration political access to regions that strongly supported Raila in 2022.

7)Farouk Kibet

Farouk Kibet is Ruto’s longest-serving and closest aide who has worked with him for more than 20 years, including during his time as Deputy President.

Kibet is known for his proximity to Ruto and his role in managing access to the President.

Unlike many of Ruto’s political allies, he operates largely behind the scenes. Kibet has become more visible in political activities ahead of 2027.

In March 2026, Farouk accompanied Kenya Kwanza leaders on regional tours, including in Western Kenya where he asked the people to consider Ruto as their president in 2027.

 8)Davis Chirchir

Chirchir currently serves as the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport.

Before the 2022 election, he was Chief of Staff in the Office of the Deputy President, where he helped with the planning and coordination of Ruto’s presidential campaign.

His contribution to the 2027 re-election effort now comes mainly through service delivery and infrastructure development.

Also Read: Gachagua Reveals Main Issues Causing Disunity in the United Opposition

As Roads and Transport CS, Chirchir oversees major road and transport projects, allowing the government to point to infrastructure development as part of its record as Ruto seeks a second term.

Chirchir has also continued to defend the administration’s record. On August 14, 2026, he said the country was stable and praised Ruto for what he described as significant development achievements.

9)Dennis Itumbi

Dennis Itumbi currently serves as Head of Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy.

Itumbi was one of the leading digital strategists in Ruto’s 2022 presidential campaign.

He was associated with the Hustler Nation Intelligence Bureau, helped promote Ruto’s “Hustler” message online, and was also involved in the Kenya Kwanza parallel tallying operation during the 2022 election.

Meanwhile, Itumbi has supported the bid to have the president reelected by his focus on promoting the government’s agenda.

In October 2025, he said the government is willing to support content creators who produce material around programmes such as affordable housing, healthcare, agriculture and job creation.

10) Felix Koskei

He is the Head of Public Service who is playing a major role in Ruto’s 2027 re-election strategy through service delivery and grassroots engagement.

Koskei has participated in coordinating the implementation of government policies and programmes, while urging officials to engage citizens and demonstrate the impact of government projects.

He has repeatedly stressed that the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) should translate into services and development for ordinary Kenyans, giving the administration a record to campaign on ahead of the 2027 election.

Follow our WhatsApp channel for instant news updates.

President William Ruto and Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi at the groundbreaking ceremony for the 10,000-seater Kidundu Stadium in Vihiga County on May 19, 2026. PHOTO/PCS.