The supremacy battle between President William Ruto and his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta has taken a new twist after a public exchange of words cast doubt on the supposed truce between the two.
But on Friday last week, Mr Kenyatta caught the country by surprise after he urged the Gen Z to “fight for their rights” against the Ruto administration.
President William Ruto pays a courtesy call to former President Uhuru Kenyatta at his Gatundu home on December 9, 2024.
Photo credit: OFPP
In a rejoinder, President Ruto hit back on Sunday, accusing the former Head of State of “inciting the youth he failed to create jobs for.”
“Our young people deserve the best from us as parents, government, and leaders. We don’t need to incite our children to engage in violence and chaos. Our young people of Kenya don’t need violence or confrontation they want opportunities, they want jobs. They want to engage in business, and that is what we should be doing as leaders instead of inciting them to violence, destruction, and many things that will not solve their problem and the problems of our country,” Dr Ruto said at a church event in Bungoma County.
The public jibes have now set the stage for a renewed political duel that started when Mr Kenyatta endorsed opposition leader Mr Raila Odinga against Dr Ruto, then the Deputy President, during the 2022 presidential election. President Ruto garnered 7,176,141 votes (50.49 per cent) to beat Mr Odinga, who got 6,942,930 (48.85 per cent), in the closely contested polls.
Coming at a time when the Gen Z are in a political and ideological conflict with the government, Mr Kenyatta’s strong alignment with the youth sent a signal of defiance against his successor.
Mr Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party came to his defence on Monday, with secretary-general Jeremiah Kioni rubbishing claims that the December 9, 2024 meeting was a political “handshake” between the two leaders.
Mr Kioni said Mr Kenyatta’s position is that the Kenya Kwanza regime had disenfranchised Kenyans through unpopular policies and does not warrant their support.
“Uhuru Kenyatta did not play any role in the appointment of (Mutahi) Kagwe, (William) Kabogo and (Lee) Kinyanjui (as Cabinet secretaries) into Ruto’s government,” Mr Kioni said.
“When the two leaders met at Ichaweri, Dr Ruto booked an appointment to check on Mr Kenyatta. After the visit, there was no joint statement. Ruto went into a public relations spree to make it appear as if he had a ‘handshake’ with Uhuru yet his core agenda was to try and give some legitimacy to his already concluded talks with the three individuals he later appointed as ministers in his government,” Mr Kioni said during an interview on Monday.
Mr Kagwe and Mr Kinyanjui did not respond to queries by Nation on whether they negotiated for their Cabinet positions individually or through Mr Kenyatta.
Former Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi, whom Dr Ruto appointed as the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Board Chairman, did not also respond to questions by the Nation.
Mr Kioni said that Mr Kenyatta's wish is to have a formidable coalition to kick out President Ruto from power in the 2027 election.
President Ruto’s close ally, Belgut MP Nelson Koech, however told off Mr Kioni, accusing him of lacking knowledge of the current political affairs in the country.
“Kioni is a lone ranger running a survival fight. He does not represent Uhuru Kenyatta in any way. Anyone taking him seriously is wasting their time. He is a gun for hire,” said Mr Koech, who is also the National Assembly Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee chairperson.
Former president Uhuru Kenyatta and President William Ruto greet each other at a church function in Embu on November 16, 2024.
Photo credit: Pool
Political analyst and chief executive office at the Africa Policy Institute (API), Prof Peter Kagwanja told Nation that Mr Kenyatta’s recent statement to the youth to continue with their pushback against the Ruto regime “marked an end to the short-lived marriage” and reveals the continued rivalry between the two.
“The visit of Dr Ruto to Kenyatta’s Gatundu home was seen as a strategic move by the President to win some ground his party lost after the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. The nomination of the Azimio leaders aligned to Kenyatta fuell ed the perception that he had been co-opted into Ruto’s broad-based government,” Prof Kagwanja said.
He pointed out that the former president’s statement against the Kenya Kwanza administration was a calculated move to distance him from the government and also to “reclaim his political clout lost after Ichaweri and its aftermath.”
“Not surprisingly, the statement came hot on the heels of the swearing-in of Cabinet secretaries who are perceived as Uhuru allies. Notably, former Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi, former Murang’a Governor Mwangi Iria and former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth were also appointed to government jobs to replace “Gachagua men”.
A leading figure in Mr Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party on Sunday told Nation that the former president was keen on galvanising his support around former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i “to face off” with Ruto in 2027.
The source said the former Head of State was also looking to reach out to Mr Odinga, whose allies were co-opted into Dr Ruto’s broad-based government, to join Dr Matiang’i’s camp before 2027.
“It is coordinated. Uhuru is trying to put together the opposition to support Matiang’i. He is the one behind all these plans,” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing the sensitivity of plans, added.
On the other hand, political analyst Dismas Mokua argued that retired presidents should borrow a leaf from US President Jimmy Carter “who had a stellar retirement by focusing his energies around philanthropy and mentoring.”
“Retired presidents shouldn’t make statements that are not consistent with national and public interests. If Uhuru was quoted correctly, then his statement has the potential to cause political instability in the country,” Mr Mokua said.
President Ruto on Sunday said his administration has elaborate plans to create job employment and opportunities for youths to uplift their living standards.
“Don’t be worried by the naysayers who are making a lot of noise and throwing insults because their plans have failed and they don’t have an alternative plan to offer. If I ask them right now to give us their plan they don’t have, except protests and chaos. But what I want to assure people is that Kenya will move forward progressively,” said Dr Ruto.
Trans Nzoia Senator Allan Chesang and Sirisia MP John Waluke have accused Mr Kenyatta of inciting the youth against the government.
Mr Waluke accused the former president of lacking respect for the country by inciting youths to protest and cause violence. He urged the youth not to fall into that trap.
“We were happy when you (Ruto) visited the former president for the sake of a united country. But he doesn’t seem to be walking the talk, he has lost direction by inciting the youths. If he wants to join those trying to undermine your government, let him do so, and let us who want to unite the country do so and walk together,” Mr Chesang said.
Mr Kenyatta’s statement last Friday urging the youth to continue fighting for their rights came against the backdrop of his earlier warning before leaving office.
“The problem we have is our young people, let us not cheat ourselves. We have a youth bulge that if not properly handled, can be a time bomb that can blow this country to pieces,” he said in the run up to the 2022 elections.
“We have to handle this extremely carefully. That is not a problem of this community or that, it affects us all but how we manage it is important. We must do it very carefully,” he added.
