Pre-election Tension in Kenya: Kenyatta Determined to Face Off with William Ruto Ahead of 2027

As general elections approach in Kenya, tensions are running high between incumbent President William Ruto and his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, whom he previously served as vice-president. It is worth noting that the rift between the two figures began prior to the 2022 elections, when Uhuru Kenyatta chose to support veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga rather than his own vice-president, William Ruto.

William Ruto claims to have made repeated efforts to seek his predecessor's backing for public projects, but the former president reportedly rebuffed these overtures, preferring instead to undermine him. Ruto contends that Uhuru Kenyatta is the primary financial backer of the opposition, accusing him of manipulating certain political actors to block his administration's development initiatives. According to Ruto, his predecessor is actively working behind the scenes to cultivate opposition against him ahead of the presidential race.

Furthermore, insiders within President William Ruto's camp have accused former President Uhuru Kenyatta of ties to the saba saba protest movement, as well as involvement in diplomatic friction involving the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa has accused President William Ruto of favoring Rwandan President Paul Kagame's administration amid the ongoing crisis in eastern DRC.

Gachagua's Response

In response, former Vice President Rigathi Gachagua hit back at President William Ruto. Speaking at the Democratic Citizens Party (DCP) headquarters in Nairobi, Gachagua urged President Ruto to leave Uhuru alone and instead face him directly in the upcoming 2027 general elections.

​It must be emphasized that Kenya carries a recent electoral history heavily scarred by crises that left hundreds dead and prompted international justice to intervene against several political figures, including William Ruto. The 2007–2008 post-election violence, in particular, remains a profound national trauma in the country's political history.