SIAYA, Kenya — President William Ruto has challenged retired President Uhuru Kenyatta to explain how he expects to defeat him in the 2027 General Election, arguing that the former president failed to stop his rise to power while still in office.
Speaking in Siaya on Tuesday during his development tour of Nyanza, Mr Ruto also turned his criticism on Governor James Orengo and other leaders associated with the Linda Mwananchi movement, accusing them of opposing his administration on behalf of Mr Kenyatta.
“So Uhuru Kenyatta did not defeat me when he was President, and now I am the President, and he is retired — is he going to defeat me?” Mr Ruto asked, drawing cheers from the crowd.
“Look for another issue, please,” he added.
Mr Ruto said he was surprised that Mr Kenyatta had continued to participate in opposition politics after leaving State House, arguing that a former President should instead assume the role of a statesman.
“I am surprised that someone who has been President of Kenya, after leaving the presidential seat, instead of becoming a statesman, chooses to become a leader of the opposition,” he said.
The President went on to accuse Mr Kenyatta of using other politicians to challenge his administration, describing some of them as the former president’s “puppets” and “stooges”.
He singled out Mr Orengo, questioning whether Siaya residents had elected the Governor to advance the interests of another politician.
“Did you elect someone to go and become Linda’s sponsor? To become someone else’s puppet? To be hired by someone somewhere?” Mr Ruto asked.
He also criticised Mr Orengo and other leaders linked to Linda Mwananchi, dismissing their political agenda and accusing them of lacking clear policies.
“Now he has hired Orengo and others. They have no agenda, they have no policies, they have no sense, they are useless,” Mr Ruto said.
The President urged Mr Orengo to concentrate on governing Siaya and working with the national government on development projects rather than engaging in political confrontations.
The exchange came as Mr Ruto sought to emphasise cooperation between the national and county governments, citing plans to construct a modern hospital in Siaya.
He said the national government had released Sh550 million towards the project under an agreement in which the county government was expected to contribute a further Sh500 million.
“We had agreed with the county government when they came to see me that I would give them Sh550 million and they would contribute Sh500 million so that we could build a modern hospital for the people of Siaya,” Mr Ruto said.
“I have now released the Sh550 million. I am asking my brother Orengo to stop the Linda sponsor politics and come so that we can build the hospital here in Siaya,” he added.
The remarks underscore the increasingly political significance of Nyanza as Kenya moves towards the 2027 election, with Mr Ruto seeking to consolidate support in a region that has traditionally been associated with the opposition.
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His relationship with Mr Kenyatta deteriorated after the 2018 political truce between Mr Kenyatta and then opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Mr Ruto, who served as Mr Kenyatta’s deputy president, was subsequently elected president in 2022 after defeating Mr Odinga.
With the next general election approaching, Mr Kenyatta’s continued involvement in opposition politics and the emergence of movements such as Linda Mwananchi have become part of a wider contest over Kenya’s political direction.
For Mr Ruto, however, the message in Siaya was direct: political differences should not prevent cooperation between the national and county governments — even as he continues to challenge the politicians he accuses of standing in his way.
