Mumias East MP Salasya Blasts Ruto's Remarks

Taking to his X account (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, June 16, Salasya criticised President Ruto following a fiery speech the President gave during a church service in Lugari, Kakamega County.

“To President Ruto,” Salasya posted, “Kenya is not your personal fiefdom. It is a sovereign nation of 50 million citizens, not the domain of one individual’s ambition. We will steadfastly oppose authoritarianism in all its manifestations!”

His response came shortly after President Ruto launched a scathing attack on opposition leaders, accusing them of lacking a clear development plan for the country.

“These other people have no plan,” Ruto said during the church service. “We cannot hand over leadership to people whose only agenda is ‘Ruto must go.’ How will that help you? You don’t know how our youth will get jobs, how agriculture will progress, or how our children will get an education. You have no plan of doing anything.”

The President went further to claim that the opposition thrives on bitterness and tribalism, suggesting that their rhetoric is divisive and regressive.

Ruto’s comments have sparked fresh outrage from his critics, especially amid growing dissatisfaction over the country’s economic stagnation, high cost of living, and mounting public debt under his administration.

With tensions already simmering ahead of the 2027 General Election, the President’s remarks have only deepened the rift between the Kenya Kwanza government and the opposition.

Adding fuel to the political fire, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua also weighed in during a separate public event in Kirinyaga County. Gachagua, who has since fallen out with Ruto, dismissed the President’s assertion that he would oversee a smooth transition of power.

“It’s good that you’ve admitted you’ll be defeated,” Gachagua said, addressing Ruto indirectly. “But there is no provision for ‘handing over’ in the Kenyan Constitution.

What exists is the assumption of office. We don’t need you to usher in the new president elected by Kenyans.”

The latest exchange underscores the widening fault lines within Kenya’s political landscape, with the opposition and estranged former allies ramping up their criticism of Ruto’s leadership.

At the heart of the matter is growing public concern over governance, economic hardship, and the perceived authoritarian drift of the current regime.

As political temperatures continue to rise, both Ruto’s government and the opposition are being closely watched by a restless electorate eager for accountability, economic relief, and a renewed sense of national unity.