UASIN GISHU, Kenya — President William Ruto has renewed his political confrontation with retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, accusing his former boss of abandoning an understanding that he would support Ruto’s presidential ambitions after serving two terms.
Speaking in Ziwa, Uasin Gishu County, on Monday, October 12, during his North Rift development tour, Ruto revisited their political partnership, which helped them win the 2013 and 2017 elections, and accused Kenyatta of turning against him in the 2022 presidential race.
The remarks mark a fresh escalation in tensions between the two leaders as political alliances take shape ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“I, William Ruto, voted for you four times. I stood with you when you began your journey to seek leadership. I stood with you in 2013. I stood with you in 2017. You said 10 years of Uhuru, 10 years of Ruto,” the President said.
Ruto argued that he had supported Kenyatta through successive election campaigns and expected the former president to reciprocate when he sought to succeed him.
“When the time came for you to stand with me, you avoided me, and you told Kenyans not to vote for me,” Ruto said.
Kenyatta, who completed his two constitutional terms in 2022, backed former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in that year’s presidential election rather than his then-deputy. Ruto won the election and succeeded Kenyatta as president.
Ruto tells Uhuru to leave active politics
Ruto also questioned Kenyatta’s continued involvement in political affairs, urging the retired President to step back from efforts to influence electoral choices.
“My friend, please retire. Stop deceiving people. How long will you continue deceiving people?” Ruto said, according to The Standard.
The President also accused Kenyatta of misleading other opposition figures, including the late Odinga and Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka. He criticised the former president’s reported political association with Fred Matiang’i, the former Interior Cabinet secretary who has emerged as a potential contender in the 2027 race. These were Ruto’s allegations, rather than independently established findings.
Kenyatta has remained involved in opposition politics since leaving office. On October 3, he reportedly urged Kenyans not to repeat what he described as the mistake of electing Ruto in 2022 and called on opposition leaders to unite behind a single presidential candidate.
The dispute centres partly on the political understanding associated with the Jubilee alliance, commonly expressed as “10 years for Uhuru, 10 years for Ruto”.
The two leaders joined forces ahead of the 2013 election and won again in 2017, but their relationship deteriorated after Kenyatta’s 2018 political rapprochement with Odinga and his eventual decision to back Odinga in the 2022 presidential race.
President defends his administration’s record
Alongside his criticism of Kenyatta, Ruto defended his government’s performance, arguing that it was addressing challenges inherited from the previous administration.
On education, he cited teacher recruitment, classroom construction and changes to the university funding model. He also pointed to affordable housing projects, markets and student hostels as evidence of his development agenda.
Also Read: Uhuru warns Kenyans against repeating 2022 ‘mistake’ in 2027
On the economy, Ruto maintained that his administration had improved economic growth and addressed inflation. Those remarks formed part of his broader defence of the government’s record as he toured the North Rift.
The President’s tour, which began on October 10, covers six counties: Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot and Baringo. It includes inspections of roads and health facilities, commissioning of markets and training institutions, and other development activities ahead of Mashujaa Day celebrations in Eldoret on October 20.
Ruto’s latest remarks put his past alliance with Kenyatta back at the centre of Kenya’s emerging 2027 political contest. His account presents the split as a broken political understanding; Kenyatta’s support for Odinga in 2022 and his subsequent criticism of Ruto have become defining features of their public disagreement.
