Profiles: DP Ruto's possible running mates

Speculation has been rife on who might be named.

Names floated for the top position include Tharaka Nithi Senator Kindiki Kithure, Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua, ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru and National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi.

Here are the profiles of the probable running mates.

Kindiki Kithure

Date of Birth: 1973

Age: 49

Place of Birth: Irunduni, Tharaka Nithi County

He is a professor of law, trained in Kenya and South Africa.

Career

2000 - 2001: Resettlement Consultant, Legal Unit/ Division of International Protection, UNHCR, Branch Office for South Africa, Pretoria.

2002-2003: Lecturer of Law, Moi University

2004- 2005: Lecturer of Law, University of Nairobi.

2006- 2012: Head, Department of Public Law, University of Nairobi.

2008, Appointed Secretary of Cohesion in the Justice Ministry, resigned after 100 days

2011 – 2015: Counsel representing DP Ruto at The Hague when he was charged with crimes against humanity.

2013 – 2017: Elected Senator for Tharaka Nithi

2013 - 2017: Senate Majority Leader

2017 – 2022: Elected Senator for Tharaka Nithi for a second term

2017 – 2020: Deputy Speaker until he was de-whipped by Jubilee Party.

2022- Considered one of the probable presidential running mates in the Kenya Kwanza coalition

Rigathi Gachagua

He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science & literature from UoN

Career

 1989 - 1990: Assistant Secretary, Home Affairs ministry 

1990 - 1991: District Officer cadet 

1991 - 1993: Personal Assistant to the head of Public Service 

1995 - 1996: District officer, Kakamega district 

1997 - 1999: District officer, Laikipia district 

2001 - 2006: Personal Assistant of then Minister for Local Government, Uhuru Kenyatta 

2017 - 2022: MP, Mathira constituency

 Musalia Mudavadi

Date of Birth: 1960

Age: 61

Place of Birth: Sabatia, Vihiga County

He is a trained land economist.

Career

1985 – 1989 – Director, Tyson’s Limited

1984 – 1985 – Land Economist at the National Housing Corporation

1989 – 1992 MP Sabatia

1993 – 1997 – MP Sabatia

1998 – 2002 – MP Sabatia Constituency

1999 – 2002 Minister for Transport and Communications

Nov – Dec 2002 Vice President of Kenya

2008 – 2012 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government

2008 – 2013 MP Sabatia

2012 - 2013 Deputy Prime Minister – Coalition government of Kenya

2013 Joined the United Democratic Forum political party and later founded The Amani Coalition 

2013: Vied for the presidency in the general elections and lost

2015: Mudavadi quits the UDF party for ANC Party

2017: He was part of the principals who formed the National Super Alliance (NASA), a coalition of parties that fronted Raila Odinga to vie against the incumbent U Kenyatta and lost.

2021: NASA is dissolved

2022: Mudavadi as leader of ANC, joins up with Moses Wetang'ula of Ford-Kenya, and William Ruto of UDA to form the Kenya Kwanza Alliance

2022: Mudavadi is one of the probable running mates for William Ruto in 2022

 Justin Muturi

Date of Birth: 1956

Age: 66

Place of Birth: Siakago, Embu County

He is a lawyer by profession

Career

1982 – 1997: Muturi last served as a principal magistrate before retiring from judicial service.

1999 – 2002: Elected MP for Siakago Constituency after a by-election following the demise of the previous MP

 2002 – 2007:  Re-elected MP for Siakago

2007:  Muturi defeated in general elections for Siakago MP seat by Lenny Kivuti

2011: Appointed the chairman of the Center for Multi-Party Democracy

2013: unsuccessfully ran for the Mbeere North parliamentary seat on TNA

2013: Elected speaker of the National Assembly

2017: Re-elected as speaker where he serves to date

2022: Joined the Democratic Party of Kenya as the presidential candidate and is allied to the Kenya Kwanza Coalition. 

Anne Waiguru

Date of Birth: 1967

Age: 55

Place of Birth: Kirinyaga County

She holds a Master of Arts in Economic Policy

 Career

2013: Before 2013, Anne Waiguru began her career in the public service by providing Technical Assistance to the Public Service Reform Secretariat in what was then the Cabinet Office.

She then served as the Head of Governance and the Economic Stimulus Programme at the National Treasury, alternate to the Permanent Secretary/National Treasury in the Public Procurement Oversight Authority and Advisory Board and the Women Enterprise Fund Board.

2013: Waiguru named to Uhuru Kenyatta’s first cabinet

2015: Waiguru resigns from the government following pressure on allegations of involvement in corruption

2015: Waiguru was named in the NYS scandal, however, was not taken to court.

2017 – 2022: Elected governor, Kirinyaga County

2022: Defected to the UDA Party. 

Ndindi Nyoro

Date of Birth: 1985

Age: 37

Place of Birth: Gathukeini, Murang’a County 

He is a Kenyan entrepreneur cum politician.

He studied for a Bachelor of Arts in  Economics.

Career

Worked part time for Ngenye Kariuki and company stock brokers, whose director was Ngenye Kariuki, former Member of Parliament for Kiharu.

Later, he formed Stockbridge Stockbrokers and started Afrisec Telecoms, an internet service provider. 

2016: Co-founded Investax capital, a stock brokerage firm and due to a conflict of interest left Stockbridge Securities. 

2017: Vied for the Member of Parliament seat for Kiharu constituency under the Jubilee party ticket and won at the age of 32