Principal Secretary for Livestock Development Jonathan Mueke is abandoning his ambition to become Kitui Governor in 2027 to take up a strategic political assignment in President William Ruto’s re-election campaign, in a development that could reshape the ruling party’s mobilisation strategy across four counties.
High-ranking sources within government and the corridors of power have exclusively told Channel 15 Inside Politics that Mueke is being lined up to coordinate President Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) presidential campaigns in Kitui, Machakos, Makueni and Nairobi counties.
Under the reported arrangement, Mueke would be responsible for organising and bringing together the President’s campaign structures across the four counties, drawing on his political networks, experience in county administration and connections within national government.
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A source familiar with the discussions within President Ruto’s campaign team told this publication that the President considers Mueke an important figure in assembling a cohesive campaign network ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The source said the President’s team recognises the need for experienced political figures who can coordinate different interests and establish working relationships among leaders expected to play a role in the re-election campaign.
Mueke’s reported decision to step away from the Kitui gubernatorial contest is understood to be part of the wider political arrangement, although neither he nor the President has publicly confirmed the proposed appointment.
Why Mueke matters to Ruto’s campaign
Mueke’s political journey gives him experience in both county leadership and national government, two areas that could feature prominently in the proposed assignment.
He first ventured into elective politics in 2007 when he unsuccessfully contested the Westlands parliamentary seat.
His breakthrough came in 2013 when he was elected Nairobi’s first Deputy Governor alongside former Governor Evans Kidero. He served in the position until 2017, overseeing several county departments, including trade and cooperatives, roads and infrastructure, agriculture, youth affairs and information and communication technology.
He also headed Nairobi County’s Delivery Unit, which was responsible for monitoring the implementation of development projects.
Mueke subsequently remained active in politics and was associated with Wiper and its leader Kalonzo Musyoka for several years before resigning from the party in September 2020.
He later aligned himself with President Ruto’s political camp and contested the Kitui gubernatorial seat on a UDA ticket in the 2022 General Election.
He lost to incumbent Governor Julius Malombe, who reclaimed the position on a Wiper ticket.
Following Ruto’s election, Mueke was appointed Principal Secretary, initially serving in the State Department for Sports before being transferred to the State Department for Livestock Development.
His proposed deployment would therefore represent a shift from pursuing an individual elective position to taking up a broader political coordination responsibility.
Mbaika and Mutua’s political ambitions
The reported changes in Mueke’s political plans come as other senior government figures from the Ukambani region are also being linked to elective politics ahead of the next General Election.
In Makueni, Principal Secretary for Aviation and Aerospace Development Teresiah Mbaika is reportedly preparing to leave government early next year to pursue her political ambitions.
Mbaika previously contested the Kaiti parliamentary seat in the 2022 General Election on a UDA ticket but lost to incumbent MP Joshua Kimilu.
Her possible return to the constituency race would place her back in direct competition with the sitting legislator as political activity gathers momentum ahead of 2027.
In Machakos, Labour Cabinet Secretary Dr Alfred Mutua has also been linked to a possible Senate bid.
The possibility was publicly raised by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse during President Ruto’s October 2026 tour of Ukambani, when he suggested that the former Machakos Governor could seek the senatorial seat.
Mutua, who served two terms as Machakos Governor, has publicly confirmed the reported ambition.
The potential departure of senior government figures to pursue elective positions has reportedly become part of the campaign team’s wider political calculations.
Sources familiar with the discussions say the proposed deployment of Mueke is partly intended to ensure that the President’s campaign organisation does not experience a leadership vacuum as political realignments unfold.
A reported promise of a Cabinet position
Beyond the proposed campaign assignment, sources have further told Channel 15 News that Mueke has reportedly been assured of consideration for a senior Cabinet position should President Ruto secure re-election in 2027.
The reported promise is understood to be part of the political understanding surrounding his proposed role, although no official confirmation has been made by State House or Mueke.
Such an arrangement would mark another major chapter in Mueke’s political career, having moved from an unsuccessful parliamentary bid to the Nairobi Deputy Governor’s office, an unsuccessful gubernatorial contest in Kitui and subsequently a senior position in national government.
For Ruto’s political team, the proposed arrangement would place a politician with experience in Nairobi’s county administration and roots in Kitui at the centre of campaign coordination across four politically significant counties.
Whether the arrangement will be formally announced and how the proposed structures will operate remain to be seen.
But if the reported plan materialises, Mueke’s decision to abandon his gubernatorial ambitions could signal a significant change in the President’s approach to organising his 2027 re-election campaign in Nairobi and the wider Ukambani region.
