As Kenya turns its gaze toward the 2027 presidential election, a defining contest of political legitimacy is unfolding between two men who once shared power. Former President Uhuru Kenyatta, speaking at a memorial for a departed statesman, invoked the blood-won freedoms of Kenya's democratic history to rebuff President William Ruto's claim that he secretly finances the opposition. The dispute is not merely personal — it is a struggle over who controls the meaning of democratic choice in a nation still learning what that choice truly costs.
Uhuru Rejects Ruto's 'Sponsor' Claims, Defends Democratic Rights
Nobody can take away that freedom fought for with blood and sweat
Mark
Why does Ruto keep calling opposition politicians puppets? What does he gain from that framing?
Mimi
It's about delegitimacy. If Ruto can convince voters that the opposition isn't a real political force but rather Uhuru's creation, then opposition support looks like obedience to a former president, not genuine democratic choice. It undermines the opposition's credibility.
Mark
But Uhuru denied being a sponsor. Doesn't that settle it?
Mimi
Not really. A denial in politics rarely ends the conversation. What matters more is that Uhuru reframed the whole argument—he moved it from "am I funding them?" to "do Kenyans have the right to choose their leaders?" That's a much stronger position.
Mark
Why did he bring up 2002, when he lost to Kibaki?
Mimi
Because it proves his point about democratic choice. He lost, accepted it, came back, and won in 2013. If he's truly the puppet master now, why would he have accepted defeat then? It's a way of saying: I respect the will of voters, and I expect others to do the same.
Mark
The opposition leaders at the memorial talked about unity. Is that realistic?
Mimi
That's the real question. Ngilu reminded them that unity defeated Kanu in 2002. But she also said if they each run alone, they'll all lose. The problem is that multiple strong candidates all believe they can win. Getting them to agree on one is extraordinarily difficult.
Mark
What happens if they don't unite?
Mimi
Ruto wins. A divided opposition hands him the election. That's why Ngilu's warning was so pointed—she's seen this movie before, and she knows how it ends.
Mark
Is Uhuru actually staying out of politics, or is he just being careful with his words?
Mimi
Probably both. He says he's not interested in any seat, and that may be true. But keeping political space open for allies, defending their right to run, and positioning himself as a democracy defender—that's still political power, just exercised differently.
O Pulso
- President Ruto has spent weeks publicly branding opposition politicians as paid 'puppets' of Uhuru Kenyatta, seeking to cast their movement as manufactured rather than genuine.
- Uhuru struck back at a memorial gathering in Kitale, framing Ruto's accusations not as political rivalry but as an unconstitutional assault on Kenyans' freedom to choose their own leaders.
- The former president walked a careful line — listing opposition figures by name while deflecting the 'sponsor' label with humor, keeping his influence alive without making it official.
- Opposition leaders, gathered at the same event, pledged to unite behind a single candidate in 2027, drawing explicit parallels to the coalition that dismantled Kanu's authoritarian grip in 2002.
- The deeper battle taking shape is not simply electoral — it is a contest over narrative: Ruto wants voters to see the opposition as Uhuru's project; Uhuru wants them to see it as their own.
As Kenya turns its gaze toward the 2027 presidential election, a defining contest of political legitimacy is unfolding between two men who once shared power. Former President Uhuru Kenyatta, speaking at a memorial for a departed statesman, invoked the blood-won freedoms of Kenya's democratic history to rebuff President William Ruto's claim that he secretly finances the opposition. The dispute is not merely personal — it is a struggle over who controls the meaning of democratic choice in a nation still learning what that choice truly costs.
The long-simmering rivalry between Kenya's two most consequential political figures broke into the open this week, spilling across church services and memorial gatherings as the country edges toward its 2027 presidential election. At the 23rd memorial service for the late Vice President Michael Kijana Wamalwa in Kitale, former President Uhuru Kenyatta delivered a pointed message to his successor: the attempt to silence him was both unconstitutional and futile.
President William Ruto had set the terms of the confrontation days earlier, telling a church congregation in Taita Taveta that his political opponents were 'projects or puppets — people who are sent, people who are paid.' The implication was unmistakable: Uhuru was orchestrating the opposition from the shadows. Uhuru's response was not a simple denial but a philosophical counter-argument. He invoked the sacrifices of earlier Kenyan leaders to insist that democratic freedom — the right of citizens to elect whoever they wish — could not be bargained away. 'Nobody can take away that freedom that was fought for with blood and sweat,' he said.
He named the figures Ruto had accused him of backing — Kalonzo Musyoka, former Interior CS Matiang'i, Senator Edwin Sifuna — and turned the list into a declaration of voter sovereignty. When he reached Sifuna's name and the crowd cheered, Uhuru paused with a wry smile: 'Please, be careful. I don't want to be called a sponsor.' The humor carried a serious edge — he was keeping political space open for his allies while refusing to be defined by Ruto's framing.
At the same gathering, opposition leaders added their own weight to the moment. Former Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu urged the assembled figures — Kalonzo, DP boss Justin Muturi, DAP-Kenya's Eugene Wamalwa, PLP's Martha Karua — to set aside individual ambitions and unite behind one candidate, as their predecessors had done to end the Kanu era in 2002. Each pledged to do so.
What is emerging ahead of 2027 is a contest not only over votes but over the very language of democracy. Ruto seeks to delegitimize the opposition by portraying it as Uhuru's invention, implying that its supporters are following orders rather than making free choices. Uhuru, by positioning himself as a defender of democratic principle rather than a political operator, is attempting to deny Ruto that narrative — and to remind Kenyans that the freedom to choose has never come without a fight.
The tension between Kenya's two most powerful political figures erupted into the open this week, playing out across church services and memorial gatherings as the country moves toward its 2027 presidential election. Former President Uhuru Kenyatta stood before mourners at the 23rd memorial service for the late Vice President Michael Kijana Wamalwa in Kitale and delivered a pointed message to his successor: stop trying to silence him.
President William Ruto has spent weeks claiming that Uhuru is secretly bankrolling opposition politicians, positioning them as puppets to unseat him. Speaking at a church service in Taita Taveta the previous Sunday, Ruto had been blunt about it. "These people are projects or puppets," he said of his opponents. "These are people who are sent. These are people who are paid." The implication was clear—Uhuru was pulling the strings.
Uhuru rejected the characterization entirely, but his response went deeper than a simple denial. He framed the dispute as a question about Kenya's fundamental democratic rights. "We are a democratic society and those democratic ideals were fought for hard," he said, invoking the sacrifices of earlier leaders. He warned that attempts to restrict his political freedom were unconstitutional and threatened to drag the country backward. "Freedom for Kenyans is to be able to elect the leaders they want," he said. "I'm here to defend that freedom. Nobody can take away that freedom that was fought for with blood and sweat by our leaders."
When Uhuru listed the opposition figures Ruto had accused him of backing—Kalonzo Musyoka, Interior Cabinet Secretary Matiang'i, Senator Edwin Sifuna—he made a broader point. Kenyans, he said, have the right to choose any of them. "If they say they want Kalonzo, it is Kalonzo. If they say they want Ruto, it is Ruto. If they say they want Matiang'i, it is Matiang'i. If they say they want Sifuna, it is Sifuna." When he mentioned Sifuna's name, the crowd cheered. "Please, be careful," Uhuru added with a touch of humor. "I don't want to be called a sponsor."
Sifuna himself has denied that Uhuru funds the Linda Mwananchi movement, the opposition coalition he is part of. The group, Sifuna has said, relies on contributions from ordinary Kenyans and other supporters. But the accusation has stuck in the political conversation, and Ruto has repeatedly linked opposition figures to the former president.
Uhuru also took aim at a broader pattern he sees emerging in Kenyan politics: the blocking of political meetings in regions considered strongholds of rival candidates. "There is no need to force any Kenyan to go this side or that," he said. "Kenyans will decide for themselves." He appealed to politicians to campaign with civility. "If you want votes, ask for them politely. Kenyans will give you votes."
He drew on his own political history to make the point. In 2002, he lost the presidency to Mwai Kibaki. Rather than fade away, he returned to politics and won the presidency in 2013. "Even me, when I lost the presidency in 2002, I came back again in 2013, and I was given votes," he said. "Let people not say that I'm politicking. I'm not interested in any seat."
At the same memorial service, opposition leaders made their own statement. Former Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu urged them to unite behind a single candidate, invoking the coalition that had brought down the authoritarian Kanu regime in 2002. "We sat down with Wamalwa and other leaders to defeat Moi because we were tired of Kanu," she said. "Today, all these leaders here are good candidates for the presidency. Even Sifuna is good. But if each of them goes it alone, each of us will lick our wounds in 2027." Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, DP boss Justin Muturi, DAP-Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa, and PLP leader Martha Karua all pledged to produce one candidate to face Ruto.
The feud between Uhuru and Ruto has become the defining political story as Kenya approaches 2027. Ruto is trying to delegitimize the opposition by portraying it as Uhuru's creation—a way to suggest that opposition voters are not making free choices but following orders. Uhuru, by contrast, is positioning himself as a guardian of democratic principle, insisting that Kenyans have the right to support whoever they wish. By publicly rejecting the "sponsor" label, he keeps political space open for his allies while avoiding the appearance of directly controlling their campaigns. The real battle, it seems, is not just over who will win in 2027, but over who gets to define what democracy means in Kenya.
Citações Notáveis
These people are projects or puppets. These are people who are sent. These are people who are paid.— President William Ruto, on opposition politicians
Freedom for Kenyans is to be able to elect the leaders they want. I'm here to defend that freedom.— Former President Uhuru Kenyatta
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Politics & Governance