Raila and I will beat you hands down in 2027, Ruto tells Gachagua as he charms Nyanza

President William Ruto has fired a warning shot at his critics, declaring he will beat them “hands down” in the 2027 general election.

In his address in Awendo, Migori county, Ruto said his partnership with Raila would deliver a united and inclusive Kenya while crushing a “planless, clueless and agendaless” opposition.

“We have agreed, baba and I will unite Kenya. We want to remove exclusion, hatred and division so that the country can move forward,” he said.

“Those other tribalists, those people of shares, those of hatred, without plans, policies or agendas — I want to tell you we will beat them early in the morning.”

The President, on his third consecutive day in Raila’s Nyanza stronghold, accused his opponents of hiding behind the “Wantam” slogan to intimidate and distract his administration.

“The people who decide leaders are citizens, not you. You cannot bring us a slogan to distract us. Tell us the plans you have for Kenya — don’t speak in parables. Talk to us in a language we can understand,” he said.

Ruto’s visit to Nyanza — marked by project launches, grassroots meetings and overt political courting — is widely seen as an attempt to penetrate Raila’s traditional base and build a power bloc ahead of 2027.

On Thursday, he toured Migori after visiting Homa Bay, where he opened the 2025 Devolution Conference. He met Governor Ochilo Ayacko, Senator Eddy Oketch, MPs and MCAs at the Sony Sugar Green Stadium in Awendo.

The President announced multibillion shilling development programmes and projects the government is rolling out in the country.

They include the Sh15 billion affordable housing project, the Sh2 billion electricity project, the Sh3.6 billion market projects and construction of nine roads worth millions of shillings.

“We are building 18 markets here in Migori.  We have put Sh3.6 billion into building markets in Migori county so that our farmers can have access to their produce and businessmen and mama mboga get a conducive place to do business,” he said.

The government is building more than 7,000 housing units in Migori county, with the President launching construction of the first 300 units worth Sh750 million in Awendo.

The government has also connected more than 19,000 houses to electricity in an ambitious Sh2 billion programme implemented by the Ministry of Energy.

“We have agreed that Migori, which has been sidelined for many years, must now be at par with other regions in terms of development,” he said.

In addition, the state is building nine new roads in the county, which he said has been marginalised for decades. They include tarmacking of the 50km Kanyawanga-Madiaba -Rapogi-Awendo road.

The President’s sustained presence in Luo Nyanza — and his public camaraderie with Raila — underscores a shifting political landscape that could redraw the map ahead of 2027.

On Wednesday, Ruto launched the construction of a 588-unit hostel that will host more than 2,000 students at Tom Mboya University students’ village.

This was the first ever built student accommodation under our Housing Programme will generate more than 1,500 jobs.

INSTANT ANALYSIS

President William Ruto has told off his critics for their dissenting calls for his exit from office during the 2027 General Election. The President stated that the decision ultimately lies with Kenyans, noting that the public will be accorded the chance to assess every candidate based on their track record. He asserted that the 'one-term' chants will not deter him from implementing his manifesto.