KIRINYAGA, Kenya — Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has returned to Kenya’s political arena with a pointed message to voters in his Mt Kenya stronghold: do not repeat what he described as a mistake in the 2022 presidential election.
Speaking on Saturday, October 3, at the burial of Mwalimu Jackson Karua, father of People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua, in Gichugu, Kirinyaga County, Uhuru revisited his unsuccessful appeal to the region four years ago to support Raila Odinga and Martha Karua.
His remarks amounted to an indirect warning against backing President William Ruto for another term in the August 2027 election.
Ruto defeated Odinga in the 2022 presidential election after securing 7,176,141 votes, or 50.49%, against Odinga’s 6,942,930 votes, according to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). The Supreme Court subsequently upheld the result.
Uhuru told mourners that he had warned the region before the 2022 vote but was ignored.
“I am happy, even after you people refused to listen to me. That is upon you. When I told you, you were making the wrong decision, you all thought you knew better,” he said.
He argued that a political alliance between Odinga and Karua could have produced a different trajectory for the country.
“I knew that if the Old Man, late Raila Odinga, and your daughter, Martha Karua, united, Kenya would have made great progress,” he said.
‘Do not repeat the mistake’
Uhuru then turned his message towards the 2027 election, asking residents whether they intended to repeat what he described as the earlier mistake.
“A mistake is not a mistake unless it is repeated,” he said.
“Kirinyaga residents, will you make the same mistake? Kirinyaga residents, will you repeat the mistake?”
He then asked the crowd to respond by a show of hands, adding that he was asking residents to make their own judgement.
The former president later said: “Kurudia makosa ndiyo shida” — repeating mistakes is the problem — drawing laughter from the gathering.
The remarks marked a return to a familiar political theme for Uhuru, who openly opposed Ruto’s presidential bid during the 2022 campaign after the two men fell out following their first-term partnership.
Uhuru dismisses ‘sponsor’ attacks
The retired president also responded to criticism from supporters of the Kenya Kwanza administration who have accused him of backing or sponsoring opposition political activities.
He said he was not seeking another political position and had no personal political ambition.
“Hata wakinitukana, wananiita sponsor, rebel leader, mlevi, sijui kesho wataniita nini. Mimi nawaangalia, nacheka,” he said.
He accused his critics of wasting their time by attacking him instead of concentrating on governing.
Uhuru said he was satisfied with the opportunity he had been given to serve Kenya and wanted to see the country move forward.
His comments came as senior opposition figures gathered in Kirinyaga, turning a family funeral into a significant political meeting point.
Opposition leaders under pressure to unite
The question of whether opposition leaders can agree on a single presidential candidate was one of the dominant political themes at the gathering.
Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina challenged presidential hopefuls to settle their differences and agree on one candidate to face Ruto in 2027.
She named Martha Karua, Kalonzo Musyoka, Rigathi Gachagua, Edwin Sifuna and Fred Matiang’i among those associated with the opposition effort.
Maina told the politicians that they could enter a room and settle their differences there, but should emerge with one candidate.
“We want once you leave that room, you give us one candidate who will take President William Ruto home,” she said.
Uhuru subsequently asked Maina to repeat her message before telling the gathering: “For those who have ears, let them listen.”
The exchange underlined the pressure on opposition leaders to resolve competing presidential ambitions before the 2027 campaign gathers further momentum.
Kalonzo echoes the unity message
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka also used the gathering to warn opposition politicians against secretly working with Ruto.
“If any of us becomes Kasongo’s mole, he or she will suffer the consequences of the biblical Lot,” Kalonzo said.
Also Read: Kalonzo cautions opposition against turning into Ruto ‘moles’ ahead of 2027 polls
He called on opposition leaders to remain focused on what he described as the need to “save” the country and work towards a common political front.
The remarks came as Karua, Kalonzo, Matiang’i, Sifuna and other opposition figures appeared together at the funeral, while Gachagua was represented by Nyandarua Senator John Methu.
A changing political landscape
The gathering illustrated the shifting political alliances ahead of the 2027 election, with several prominent politicians either openly seeking the presidency or being associated with efforts to build a joint opposition platform.
Siaya Governor James Orengo separately appealed to Mt Kenya voters to work with other parts of the country, arguing that the region would have an important influence on the next presidential contest.
For Uhuru, however, the message was rooted in the experience of 2022.
He did not name a preferred 2027 presidential candidate in his remarks. Instead, he challenged his former political base to reconsider its choices and urged opposition politicians to listen to calls for unity.
The funeral of Mwalimu Jackson Karua therefore offered more than a farewell to a veteran educator and father.
It also became a stage for a renewed political conversation about Mt Kenya’s role in the next presidential election — and whether opposition leaders can turn their growing cooperation into a single electoral challenge to Ruto.
For now, the question of who would lead such a ticket remains unresolved.
