Ruto courts Gen Z, vows to hand over power to young leaders in 2032

President William Ruto has appealed to Kenya’s youth to rally behind his administration, arguing that opposition leaders have held power for years without delivering meaningful change.

On the third day of his tour of the Gusii region, the President stepped up his charm offensive, urging young Kenyans to support his leadership while launching a scathing attack on opposition figures whom he accused of frustrating the rise of emerging young leaders for fear of being overshadowed.

Looking ahead, President Ruto pledged to usher in a new political order by 2032, promising to make way for a younger generation of leaders to take the reins.

“You and I, Mr 40… all these are people of my age. I am assuring young people in Kenya that all these leaders, this Mr Yala, Mr 40, Mr Texas, aka Mr Hate, all these people, I will put them together and ensure that we all leave in 2032 and leave the country to young leaders,” said President Ruto.

He did not call the opposition leaders by name, only using monikers that leave his audience to imagine the target of his attacks.

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Dr Ruto accused opposition leaders of targeting promising young politicians whose influence is steadily growing, citing South Mugirango MP Osoro, NyaribarI Chache MP Zaheer Jhanda and other youthful leaders as examples.

“Please leave alone the young leaders of this country. We have youthful leaders who are growing. Leaders like Osoro, Zaheer Jhanda, Donya … leave them alone. You, Mr Herod, when you see a young man somewhere growing, you start fighting him. You are fighting with [John] Methu, Ndindi [Nyoro], [Kimani] Ichungwa, Aaron Cheruiyot, Osoro, Nyakundi; you are fighting youthful leaders …” he said.

President Ruto also outlined several programmes initiated by his administration and urged the youth in Gusii to register for the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme and benefit from the opportunities it offers.

“Young people are a critical pillar of national development, with the skills, talent and energy to drive our national transformation agenda. We are committed to tapping their potential by creating jobs, providing relevant training and equipping them with the resources they need to realise their aspirations and contribute to national progress,” said President Ruto.

He said his administration had created millions of employment opportunities for young people through various initiatives over the past three years.

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Under the Affordable Housing Programme, the government has generated 1.1 million jobs, while 680,000 Kenyans have secured employment abroad and another 350,000 are earning a living through digital jobs, he said.

“Under NYOTA programme, 130,000 young people have received Sh50,000 each to start or expand their businesses. We will soon roll out the second phase targeting 200,000 youths. Further, we have launched business training for 600,000 young people under the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities programme. Beginning January 2027, we will provide 50,000 graduates with internship opportunities and a monthly stipend,” he said.

The renewed appeal to young people comes amid President Ruto’s efforts in recent months to repair his strained relationship with Generation Z and the wider youth population.

The President is seeking to move beyond the bitter confrontation that characterised the historic 2024–2025 protests and recalibrate his political approach in a bid to rebuild trust ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Some young Kenyans who voted for him in 2022 have since expressed feelings of betrayal, citing high inflation, the rising cost of living, unemployment, punitive taxation and unfulfilled promises, including the creation of digital jobs and provision of free Wi-Fi.

The discontent, initially sparked by opposition to the controversial Finance Bill 2024, deepened amid growing public anger over police brutality and deaths in custody.

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The resulting Gen Z-led demonstrations forced the government to withdraw the Bill but were met with a heavy security response, arrests and widespread criticism of the State’s handling of the protests.

Young Kenyans also turned to social media platforms, particularly X, formerly Twitter, to mobilise, share satirical content and coordinate their opposition to the government. Their online activism was, at times, followed by security crackdowns and reports of abductions.

Meanwhile, the President’s third day in Gusii was marked by a series of project launches and inspections in Kisii County.

The President made several stops in Bonchari, Kitutu Chache North, Bobasi and South Mugirango constituencies in Kisii County, using his Wednesday rallies to rally young people behind his administration ahead of the 2027 General Election.

He began the day in Bonchari Constituency, where he launched the construction of the Kenyoro SDA-Riana Market-Kerina Road, flagged off the Last Mile Electricity Connectivity Project at Kenyoro Junction and commissioned Nyankororo Primary School before inspecting the Itibo-Nyagesa Road.

In Kitutu Chache North, he launched the construction of Marani KMTC and flagged off the Last Mile Electricity Connectivity Project at Marani.

He then proceeded to Bobasi, where he launched the construction of the Nyagesa-Rianyamanga Road at Kabosi, inspected the Itumbe-Motonto Road, commissioned the Motonto Modern Market and flagged off the Last Mile Electricity Connectivity Project at Kabosi.

He concluded the day’s engagements in South Mugirango, launching the construction of the Sengenya-Openda-Kiagwa Road at Nyakeyo and the Nyakeyo-Nyamasege Road before flagging off the Last Mile Electricity Connectivity Project at Nyakeyo.

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