Table your agenda, ’27 will be battle of ideas, Ruto tells opposition

President William Ruto has challenged the opposition to spell out its agenda to Kenyans, arguing that calls for his removal from office cannot be their only selling point.

Speaking in Mombasa during Nyota funds disbursement, he said the country needs issue-based politics focused on solutions rather than endless political agitation.

The President accused opposition leaders of recycling the same one-term rhetoric without offering clear alternatives on the economy, jobs and the cost of living.

“What is your agenda? It can’t be to remove Ruto from office. They don’t have a youth agenda, they have no policy and have nothing to offer,” Ruto said.

“What you cannot avoid is telling us what your agenda is. We know all of them, we know their intellectual capacity. They cannot have an agenda.”

“They must stand on the podium and tell the people their plan.”

The President was accompanied by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, Cabinet Secretaries Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives), Hassan Joho (Mining), Salim Mvurya (Sports) and Alice Wahome (Lands).

The Mombasa meeting was also attended by host Governor Abdulswamad Nassir and his Taita Taveta counterpart, Andrew Mwadime.

Ruto said his administration remains focused on delivering its development agenda and urged Kenyans to judge leaders by tangible programmes rather than slogans.

He said leadership is about presenting ideas and plans, not merely mobilising anger, as he called for a more substantive national political debate.

Kindiki, while highlighting the administration’s programmes to empower the youth, said they will not allow anyone to turn young people into goons and hecklers.

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir praised the government’s intervention to empower the youth and improve their lives.

He also recognised the President’s move to save the Coast region from economic collapse when he took over power in 2022.

“The economy of the Coast and Mombasa was almost collapsing; the last government transferred everything to Nairobi. It took your interventions to revive our economy,” Nassir said.

The ODM deputy party leader also vowed that the Orange party will continue working with the ruling outfit going into 2027.

“ODM and UDA manifestos are both talking about universal health. We are like-minded. UDA and ODM are both pushing for inclusivity; that is why, for instance, the Nyota programme is being rolled out across the country,” Nassir stated.

“As ODM, we have decided that we are either going to be part of the government.”

Some 5,880 youth from Mombasa, Kwale and Taita Taveta counties received Sh139.5 million in the first phase of the Nyota Business Start-Up Capital.

The beneficiaries were drawn from 70 wards across the three counties—30 from Mombasa, 20 from Kwale and 20 from Taita Taveta.