Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta has declared that Kenyans have already made up their minds about the country’s political direction ahead of the 2027 General Election, saying the opposition only needs to unite to present voters with a common alternative.
President William Ruto responded to the remarks on Wednesday, November 11, dismissing the former president’s assessment and telling him to seek opinions from what he described as sober people.
Speaking during a memorial service for his cousin, Beatrice Wambui Muturi, Kenyatta addressed a gathering that included Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and DAP-K’s Eugene Wamalwa.
The former president said his interactions with ordinary Kenyans in the village had convinced him that voters had already settled on their preferred political direction.
“When I am in the village having porridge, I listen to the people. From the way I hear them talking, it seems they have already made up their minds,” Uhuru said.
He further explained that his conversations with residents had reinforced his belief that Kenyans were waiting for opposition leaders to organise themselves and work together.
“I walk around nikitafuta ‘uji,’ and you know I talk the truth. People have spoken, and they are waiting for you to unite,” he said.
Kenyatta maintained that the opposition’s biggest challenge was bringing its leaders together rather than convincing voters to support an alternative political direction.
“The seat can only be occupied by one person at a time. From what I have heard, Kenyans have already made their decision; they only have one problem: the unity of the Opposition,” he said.
He urged Kalonzo, Gachagua and Wamalwa to put their political differences aside and organise themselves ahead of the next general election.
“Organise yourselves and unite to give Kenyans what they want,” he told the opposition leaders.
Ruto, addressing the same day, responded to the former president’s remarks without mentioning him directly, referring to him instead as “the Sponsor”.
The President questioned the reliability of the opinions Kenyatta said he had gathered from people during his village visits, suggesting that he should seek information from different sources.
“I heard the Sponsor saying that he had been going around where porridge is served, claiming that people had already made up their minds. Get opinions from sober people. Get information from people who haven’t been drinking alcohol,” Ruto said.
The exchange marks another public disagreement between the two leaders, whose relationship deteriorated after Ruto won the 2022 presidential election.
The two served together in government for nearly a decade, with Ruto as Deputy President during Kenyatta’s presidency. However, their political relationship broke down ahead of the 2022 election when Kenyatta backed former Prime Minister Raila Odinga against his deputy.
Kenyatta’s latest remarks come amid his gradual return to public political engagements following his retirement from the presidency in 2022.
In October 2026, he formally resigned as chairperson of the Azimio la Umoja Council, a move linked by analysts to a High Court ruling barring retired presidents from holding formal party leadership positions.
He subsequently handed over Jubilee Party leadership to his former Interior Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang’i, who has been endorsed by the party as its presidential candidate for the 2027 General Election.
However, Kenyatta has retained a senior adviser role within Jubilee and continued to make public comments on the country’s political direction and the Ruto administration.
In October, he urged Mount Kenya voters not to “repeat the same mistake” made in 2022, warning against re-electing Ruto and invoking the opposition’s “WANTAM” political slogan.
His continued political involvement has also attracted criticism from allies of the President, with Ruto’s camp previously pushing to strip him of retirement benefits over alleged violations of the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act.
Kenyatta’s latest intervention places renewed attention on the efforts by opposition leaders to establish a united political front ahead of the 2027 elections.
His remarks specifically challenged Kalonzo, Gachagua and Matiang’i to coordinate their political ambitions and work towards presenting a common candidate against the incumbent administration.
Whether the opposition leaders will reach an agreement on a joint political platform remains uncertain as preparations for the 2027 General Election continue.
Kenyatta served as Kenya’s fourth president from 2013 to 2022. He backed Odinga in the 2022 election against Ruto, who had served as his deputy for nearly ten years.
Despite leaving office, the former president has remained involved in Jubilee Party affairs and continued to comment on national political developments.
