Former president Uhuru Kenyatta.
Though largely silent and rarely seen in public, former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s shadow looms large over Kenya’s political landscape, with signals that he could play a decisive role in shaping the outcome of the 2027 General Election.
Despite his low profile, the former Head of State continues to attract significant political attention, hosting guests at his Ichaweri home in Gatundu South, Kiambu County, issuing veiled political messages, and reportedly pulling strings behind the scenes to reposition allies and protégés ahead of the next polls.
Mr Kenyatta backed ODM leader Raila Odinga against Dr William Ruto, his then deputy, in the 2022 elections and now there is speculation that the former president’s camp is urging the ODM leader to throw his hat in the ring for the top seat in the next contest.
In an exclusive interview to be aired by NTV, Mr Odinga revealed the critical role Mr Kenyatta played in the deal he inked with President Ruto following Gen Z protests last year.
“At the height of the protests, Uhuru reached out to me from the United States and urged for the need to stabilise the country. He said I needed to talk to President Ruto to find a lasting solution. I shared this with my colleagues in Azimio with whom we consult frequently.”
“When they did not yield, we discussed it as a party (ODM) and that’s when we agreed not to let the country head to anarchy,” Mr Odinga explained, further espousing, Mr Kenyatta’s influence in Kenya’s affairs even after retirement.
Uhuru confidants
Pointedly, one of his unexpected guests in Ichaweri last December last was President William Ruto, with whom he held talks, and months later, some perceived Mr Kenyatta allies were brought into the Cabinet. Mr Kenyatta or his confidants have never confirmed or denied if he had a hand in the selection.
President William Ruto when he paid a courtesy call to former President Uhuru Kenyatta in Gatundu on December 9, 2024.
At the moment, from Mt Kenya politics to opposition realignments and even the Gen Z movement, Mr Kenyatta appears to be tactically reasserting himself in national affairs, leaving many wondering whether he is quietly plotting a political comeback—not necessarily for himself, but for those he believes should take up the mantle.
Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni has maintained that the party led by Mr Kenyatta is keen on fronting former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i for president in 2027, a statement that the ex-president has not contradicted.
“The public’s memory of his warnings against electing President Ruto might now be driving fresh interest in his views. He told Ruto to listen to the people when he forced himself to Ichaweri. He only wants good governance and because he performed as president. The people want directions from him,” Mr Kioni told the Nation.
Indeed, while Mr Kenyatta may no longer seek office, his quiet manoeuvres—whether through party politics, strategic meetings or mere public appearances—continue to ripple through Kenya’s political waters.
The former Head of State who ruled from 2013 to 2022, retains significant influence in Mt Kenya, a region that feels increasingly alienated by President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration.
Recent murmurs on the ground suggest that the electorate, especially in Mt Kenya region is beginning to re-evaluate the choices made in 2022.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who has drawn an elaborate opposition plan to kick out his former boss (Dr Ruto) from power, and his allies have in recent months been swinging between ‘apologising’ for their barbs targeted at Mr Kenyatta and his family during the 2022 campaigns and dismissing him as inconsequential.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
In all, the former President, however, appears to have entered popular “he-told-us-so” conversations in a region that is turning its back on UDA and President Ruto after his 2022 warnings against voting in Ruto were ignored. Some now think they owe him a debt and believe he should offer direction for 2027.
“Uhuru told us not to go that route, but we ignored him. Look at where we are now, high taxes, betrayal, and a government that doesn’t listen to its people,” said Mr Kioni.
Despite retreating from public politics after his retirement in 2022, Mr Kenyatta remains a force whose presence looms large over Kenya’s evolving political terrain.
From behind the scenes, he continues to shape discourse, steer loyalties, and subtly shake the political balance ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“To begin with, Uhuru's financial clout is not in question. As the scion of one of Kenya’s wealthiest families, he commands access to deep financial reservoirs. In politics, money is oxygen. Campaigns are costly ventures, and having a financier with Uhuru’s reach is a strategic advantage few would dismiss,” says Prof Gitile Naituli of Multimedia University.
But money alone, Prof Naituli says, does not explain the “Uhuru factor.”
“What makes Uhuru’s position unique is the convergence of three spheres of influence, economic, political, and diplomatic. His past presidency saw him build robust relationships across the continent and globally. Diplomats and development partners continue to visit him at his Gatundu home, and that’s not just about nostalgia. It is a signal that he remains a respected statesman whose views still carry weight in international circles,” says Prof Naituli.
Mr Javas Bigambo agrees that the retired president has not entirely exited the stage.
“Uhuru's influence will likely be considerable, but mostly in Mt Kenya region… He evidently retains great interest in Jubilee and seems still sulky about President Ruto's win in 2022.”
Mr Wambugu Ngunjiri, a former Nyeri Town MP and one-time ally of the former president, and Mr Gachagua, sees Mr Kenyatta’s shadow still cast across the country’s political skyline.
“Uhuru spent close to 30 years in national leadership, with 10 years at the helm of this nation which explains why his shadow is so strong on Kenya’s politics and why whatever he does, whether intentionally or by default, is analyzed intensely across the country,” says Mr Ngunjiri.
At a time there is a risk for the Mt Kenya region to be divided, Mr Ngunjiri says “many ordinary voters from Mt Kenya will be looking at Uhuru for a sign on how to go to through this storm.”
“This means his influence on 2027 dynamic will be quite high especially due to his experience, though I suspect it will be more behind the scenes and away from public limelight. We must also remember that Uhuru has also been very pro-Kenya which means he cannot be very pleased with the ongoing efforts to split the country into tribal cocoons,” says Mr Ngunjiri.
Mr Kioni argues that while Mr Gachagua has been working overtime to consolidate Mt Kenya behind him, his efforts appear frustrated by lingering loyalty to Mr Kenyatta and the Jubilee Party, which has refused to dissolve.
Jubilee has hinted at backing Dr Fred Matiang’i, the former Interior Cabinet Secretary, for the presidency. The move, reportedly sanctioned by Mr Kenyatta, signals a reawakening of the party that many had dismissed as politically irrelevant.
Dr Matiang’i himself confirmed the overtures in a recent interview, saying he was “consulting widely” and “listening to the people.” Should his bid materialize, it would create a formidable third force in the evolving 2027 political chessboard.
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i.
Meanwhile, politicians like Moses Kuria, a one-time Uhuru ally, turn fiercest critics—are now warming up to him, a testament to the former President’s enduring political gravitas.
Reports suggest that Mr Kenyatta is also quietly urging Mr Odinga to put his best foot forward again ahead of 2027, possibly under a new coalition that includes Dr Matiang’i.
And despite Uhuru-Ruto’s public falling-out, those close to the President say he has not entirely shut the door on reconciliation.
Amid widespread protests in 2023, Mr Kenyatta broke his silence to distance himself from the demonstrations, which the government had tried to link to his family.
“Uhuru will have some influence but not as much as he had before in 2017. People will vote not so much because of what chosen leaders tell them, but because of what they think is in their best interests,” Prof Macharia Munene of the Unites States International University (USIU) says.
Political analyst Dismas Mokua describes Uhuru as the "known unknown" of 2027.
“No serious presidential candidate can afford to ignore him… He brings both political capital and financial resources to the campaign alongside a superior understanding of the Kenyan voter,” Mr Mokua says.
Political commentator Dr Martin Oloo says it was all coming down after the 2022 elections when Mr Kenyatta separated from his deputy, who in turn painted him in bad light to earn a first term in office.
