President William Ruto has dismissed a renewed push by opposition political leaders to rally behind a single presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 elections, saying that his administration is ready to face any competitor at the ballot.
Speaking on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, as he wrapped up a four-day development tour of Kisii and Nyamira counties, the head of state brushed off the latest push for single candidature strategy led by the former President Uhuru Kenyatta. Kenyatta argued that his grassroots interactions convinced him Kenyans had already made up their minds to seek new leadership in 2027 through one flag bearer, challenging the opposition to unite and facilitate that change.
In a sharp reply delivered at a public rally in Kisii town, Ruto questioned the credibility of Kenyatta’s grassroots soundings, accusing the retired president of dropping statesmanship to act as a mere political broker.
“My brother, get advise from sober people. Not from drinkers,” Ruto said, maintaining that voters will only judge leaders on tangible development tracks rather, not political boardroom pacts. “I want to tell him to look for sober people, including farmers, businesspeople, teachers and those working in the affordable housing programme so that he can get the right information about the state of Kenya.”
Insisting he was unfazed by the prospect of a united anti-Ruto front, the President added that he was ready to square off against his rivals whether they fielded one candidate or several.
Ruto also trained his guns on his former deputy Rigathi Gachagua, Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader who has, time and again, publicly suggested he would relocate to the United States if Ruto wins re-election. Gachagua has backed Kenyatta’s unity call even as Ruto dismissed his political record as a string of failures, whose past stints as a personal assistant, a one-term Member of Parliament, and an impeached Deputy President speak volumes.
“You became a failure,” Ruto told Gachagua, warning that any attempt to polarize the country along ethnic lines ahead of the polls won’t bear fruits.
Former Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria is casting doubt on the ongoing conversation around opposition unity, urging Kenyans to take political posturing with a pinch of salt.
“Dear Kenyans, trust politicians at your own risk. They know how to fake and feign. I can bet my one cow that the opposition is faking and feigning disunity,” Kuria says.
Beyond the hot political exchanges, Dr. Ruto used the final stretch of his tour across Kisii and Nyamira counties to highlight his administration’s development projects. On Wednesday, November 11, the head of state flagged off Last Mile Electricity Connectivity projects at Keroka in Nyaribari Masaba Constituency and Ibeno in Kitutu Chache Constituency. He said the initiatives are set to connect 3,000 households to the national grid in Nyaribari Masaba and another 1,200 homes in Kitutu Chache, a move aimed at boosting local enterprise and public service delivery.
During the four-day visit, the President also commissioned the Ibeno Kenya Medical Training College, launched construction of the Keroka–Ibacho–Kiamokama Road, and inspected ongoing works at the Kisii National Polytechnic.
Addressing supporters at the close of the tour, Ruto credited his administration’s delivery momentum to the broad-based political arrangement especially between the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), saying that four years into his term, the government’s 2022 development roadmap is yielding visible results across the country.
“Our development momentum has been emboldened by the broad-based arrangement between the United Democratic Alliance and the Orange Democratic Movement,” Ruto says of his development track record.
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