Former President Uhuru Kenyatta speaks at St Joseph's Cathedral in Meru County on March 23, 2025.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has asked Christians to pray for leaders to “have a listening ear”, saying Kenya was in dire need of leadership that can hear the cries of the people.
Mr Kenyatta said the church had a moral responsibility to ensure the country stays on the right path, and asked Christians to be on the forefront praying for leaders.
"It is important that as you pray for our leaders, pray that they will open their ears and hearts to listen to the cry of Kenyans," Mr Kenyatta said, without further elaborating his statement.
The former President spoke at St Joseph's Catholic Church in Meru town during a thanksgiving service in honour of the new Meru Diocese Bishop Jackson Murugara.
"Being in retirement is good because the responsibility of leadership is not an easy task. My work now is to pray for the country," Mr Kenyatta added.
The former President's statement could be telling, looked at from the perspective of Kenyans’ cry for justice over abductions and extrajudicial killings, even as President William Ruto's administration continues to ignore calls to address the high cost of living and increased taxes that have overburdened Kenyans.
The former Head of State spoke for the first time since January 17, 2025, during the burial of his cousin Kibathi Muigai at Ichaweri, Gatundu South when appealed to the youth to fight for their rights, saying they were the future of the country.
Mr Kenyatta appeared in Meru at a time when President Ruto is expected to tour the region for the first time since the impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua in October 2024.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta during a thanksgiving mass at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Meru County, on March 23, 2025.
He was accompanied by former Agriculture CS Peter Munya, former DCI boss George Kinoti and former Meru woman representative Florence Kajuju.
During the service, politicians were not allowed to address the congregation, a script that also played out in Nyeri County where the head of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit reiterated his earlier ban on politicians making speeches on the pulpit.
Archbishop Ole Sapit repeated his ban on politicians speaking in his church saying even the President would not be allowed to address the congregation inside the church.
"We have with us the former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, but I want to tell him I didn't prevent you from speaking inside the church because I hate there is nothing personal we have to strictly follow the church protocol, even if the president was here I would equally not have allowed him to speak," he said.
Mr Gachagua attended the church service alongside other leaders including Karungo wa Than’gwa (Kiambu Senator), Wambugu Ngunjiri (former Nyeri town MP and Cate Waruguru (former Laikipia Woman Rep), Mary Wamaua (Maragua), James Gakuya (Embakasi North) and Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga among other leaders.
There was tension during the event, which was attended by both allies and rivals of the Kenya Kwanza government.
Dr Ruto’s allies were MPs Duncan Maina (Nyeri Town), Geoffrey Wandeto (Tetu) and Michael Wambugu (Othaya).
Rowdy youths
There was a brief drama at the exit gate of the church as dignitaries were leaving when a group of rowdy youths chanting pro-Ruto slogans pelted the convoy with stones before the police dispersed them.
Mr Gachagua's convoy was forced to remain inside the church compound as the situation threatened to escalate but was ushered out under heavy security.
Dr Ruto is expected to visit the region at the end of this month or early April, in what is being seen as a ploy to try and win the region back following animosity who term Mr Gachagua’s ouster as a betrayal.
The former DP has gone on an anti-Ruto crusade, saying he cannot be trusted and has vowed to make him a one-term President come 2027.
President Ruto’s planned tour has seen his allies go on an offensive saying the President was welcome in the region, even as politicians allied to Mr Gachagua said Dr Ruto did not have moral authority to visit the region after betraying residents with Gachagua's ouster.
President William Ruto addresses residents of Mathare Constituency in Nairobi during his tour of the city on March 11, 2025.
MPs who impeached Mr Gachagua have taken advantage of the President’s tour to redeem their image by using the projects the Head of State is expected to launch as their bargaining power.
The anticipated tour has seen local leaders move swiftly to declare openly where their loyalty lies as they face an unpredictable electorate.
Hostility directed at the Kenya Kwanza government in general and President Ruto in particular has forced leaders to be innovative while interacting with the electorate, many of whom are supporters of impeached DP Gachagua.
For instance, while the majority of the elected leaders in Laikipia County continue displaying unwavering support for Dr Ruto despite the hostile environment in their backyard, government loyalists in other regions within central Kenya appear to be reconsidering their stand.
Kirinyaga politician Ms Wangui Ngirici who is considered a close ally of President Ruto shocked her audience on Saturday when she launched a scathing attack on the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Ms Ngirici who is serving as the chairperson of Kenya Seed Company courtesy of the current president lamented that development projects which were started by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta in the region have stalled and demanded that they be revived and completed.
"We are not begging, it is our right to have development because we elected this government," said Mrs Ngirici amid loud applause at Thiba Playground in Mwea Constituency during her thanksgiving ceremony.
She did mince words while pointing an accusing finger at the government over what she said was the continued suffering of the locals following the abandonment of development projects.
The former Woman Rep also voiced concerns over the Social Health Authority (SHA) and the new University education funding model saying the government should heed the public outcry and do away with them.
"We are saying the funding model and SHA are bad, the government should do us justice and get rid of them," she declared amidst wild cheers from the crowd.
Ms Ngirici is a heavyweight in Kirinyaga politics who in 2022 contested for the gubernatorial seat as an independent candidate but lost to Ms Anne Waiguru of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) by a small margin.
Rigged out
She claimed that she was rigged out and challenged Waiguru's election in Kerugoya High Court but later withdrew the case upon appointment by Dr Ruto to be the chairperson of the Kenya Seed Company.
In Laikipia County, Mr Mwangi Kiunjuri on Saturday intensified his campaign to drum up support for Dr Ruto while pleading with the residents to accord him a rousing welcome when he comes visiting the region after giving it a wide berth since October last year.
“For the first time after many promises, the Nanyuki-Matanya-Ngoro Theru Road is now being tarmacked. The only President who has brought development in terms of water provision and road upgrade to Tigithi Ward is President Ruto and that is why we should warmly welcome him here,” said Mr Kiunjuri.
The MP spoke during the celebrations to mark the World Water Day at Tigithi Boys Secondary School where a Sh50 million Tigithi-Humuka Supply Water Project was launched by Water and Sanitation Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua during the launch of DAP-K new headquarters at Karen, Nairobi on January 27, 2025.
The seasoned lawmaker said the gesture fulfilled the promise made by President Ruto during his last visit to Laikipia and hence locals need to reward the president by not only welcoming him to the area but also re elect him in 2027.
Mr Kiunjuri and three other local MPs; Ms Sarah Korere (Laikipia North), Wachira Karani (Laikipia West) and Jane Kagiri (Woman Rep) have had to endure hostile receptions during public gatherings owing to their support for the impeachment of Mr Gachagua.
Determined not to let go of their support for President Ruto, the legislators have devised a way to minimize public heckling by turning bursary issuance functions into platforms to rally support for the Kenya Kwanza government.
In the last two months, the Laikipia East MP has visited over a dozen schools during parents meeting to discuss development projects where every time he has pledged to give the schools a new facelift by financing infrastructural development under the National Government Constituency Development Fund.
In some instances, the parents are never informed in advance about the visit by the MP and are called for a normal meeting only for the lawmaker to storm during the deliberations and deviate into political talk.
“We were not informed in advance that the MP would be attending our parents’ meeting. We saw him storm the meeting hall and soon afterwards, he was lecturing us for allegedly being hostile towards him and to the government of President Ruto,” said a parent at St Moses Primary School in Nanyuki Town.
Leaders allied to President Ruto now believe that by implementing government-financed development projects and promising others, they have managed to reduce hostility towards the president as they lay the ground ahead of his visit in early April.
Reported by Gitonga Marete, Mwangi Ndirangu, George Munene, Stephen Munyiri and David Muchui
