Ruto to opposition: Sell agenda, not ‘one-term’ chants

President William Ruto in Kisumu on January 30, 2026/PCS 

President William Ruto Friday took a swipe at the opposition, daring them to stop what he termed as endless meetings and rhetoric and instead present a clear policy agenda to Kenyans.

Ruto dismissed the United Opposition’s planned retreat, saying Kenyans were tired of slogans and insults and wanted to hear concrete plans on jobs, the economy, and development.

“Ati naona wale majamaa sijui wanapanga seminar, sijui wamepanga retreat, ati waende waongee kutafuta candidate ama sijui nini,” Ruto said. 

He was addressing residents in Kondele, Kisumu County.

“Nawaambia hawa majamaa watafute sera, maono na agenda. Hawa wananchi wanataka kujua agenda yao ni gani," Ruto added 

The President accused the opposition of lacking ideas and relying solely on personal attacks against his leadership, arguing that chants such as “one-term” and “Kasongo must go” did not amount to a political programme.

“Wasitubebe ufala. Watakuja hapa Kisumu na maneno yao ni one-term, Kasongo must go. Hiyo ndio sera? Hiyo ni mpango? Hiyo ni maono?” he posed, drawing cheers from the crowd.

He further praised residents of Kisumu for being discerning voters, saying they could not be misled by empty rhetoric. 

“Nyinyi watu wa Kisumu mko na akili. Hawa majamaa hawana agenda, hata akili hawana,” the President said.

Ruto’s remarks come a day after the United Opposition announced plans to hold a two-day retreat starting Thursday, February 12, 2025, aimed at strengthening the coalition, agreeing on its official name and laying the groundwork for selecting a presidential candidate.

Democratic Action Party–Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa described the retreat as a critical step towards unifying the alliance and building strong internal structures ahead of the next General Election.

Speaking Thursday, January 29, 2026, Wamalwa said the meeting would focus on forming committees, refining the coalition’s brand and establishing a clear framework for choosing its flag bearer.

“As a coalition, we are going for a retreat on February 12 and 13 to set our structures, form our committees, agree on the name of our coalition, and settle on the formula for picking our flag bearer,” Wamalwa said.

He added that the opposition alliance plans to roll out a nationwide outreach programme that will see its leaders travel across the country to encourage voter registration, particularly among young Kenyans, and to mobilise citizens to actively participate in shaping the country’s future.

Wamalwa also revealed that the coalition would settle on its presidential candidate six months before the General Election, with the flag bearer to be chosen from among the six principals in the alliance.

“Our pick for a presidential flag bearer will take shape six months before the General Election,” he said. 

"We will only choose a candidate that Kenyans want, one who has no corruption-related cases, no blood on his hands, no questionable character, and who must also have a proven track record.”

The rest of the coalition leaders, Wamalwa said, would rally behind the chosen candidate to mount a strong challenge against President Ruto.