President William Ruto has challenged his political opponents to compete with his administration on the basis of ideas, policies and development programmes rather than rhetoric, slogans and tribal mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
Ruto said the political bar in Kenya had been raised, arguing that voters would judge leaders by their ability to improve the lives of citizens rather than their personalities or political rhetoric.
“This is a message to my opponents. Kenyans will shock you, my friends. In this nation, we have raised the bar on the content of leadership in Kenya. It is not about personality; it is about the people of Kenya. It is not about empty rhetoric and slogans; it is about the agenda and plans of saving the lives of our people,” Ruto said.
Speaking in Muhoroni on Monday, the President said the broad-based government was prepared to face its opponents in an ideas-driven political contest and challenged them to present alternative plans to Kenyans.
“As broad-based, we are ready. We have our ideas, we have our plans, we have our agenda, programmes and vision. We want to invite our counterparts to come with your agenda. Come with your ideas and let us compete. We will finish with you early in the morning,” he said.
Ruto questioned what he described as the absence of a clear alternative programme from the opposition, saying Kenyans were capable of judging competing political agendas.
“Mimi nimewauliza, what is your alternative idea, plan, agenda and vision? Hawana. Kenyans have brains. They know who has ideas, agenda and who doesn’t,” he said.
He cited roads, affordable housing, markets and education among the programmes his administration was implementing, challenging his opponents to explain what they would do differently.
“We have planned issues of roads, housing, markets, education and many others. How will they compete with us? They don't have any agenda, ideas, none,” he said.
The President also criticised attempts by opposition groups to unite ahead of the 2027 elections, saying previous efforts had collapsed.
“They started with United Opposition. Unity ikakosana, ikasambaratika. Wakaanzisha ya pili sasa wako ya tatu. Hao watu wako chini,” he said.
Ruto further urged Kenyans to reject tribalism, hatred and discrimination, saying the next election should mark a departure from politics based on ethnic identity.
“We will remove discrimination forever from the affairs of Kenya,” he said.
He said his broad-based arrangement was designed to bring together communities and counties regardless of their political or ethnic affiliations, arguing that development should not be determined by how people vote.
The President defended his administration’s development record, saying investments in roads, housing, markets and education were intended to improve livelihoods while creating opportunities for young people.
His remarks come amid intensified political engagement between his administration and the Orange Democratic Movement, with senior ODM leaders joining his Nyanza tour and defending the broad-based arrangement.
ODM national chairperson Gladys Wanga said the party had chosen to work with Ruto because of development projects being implemented in the region, particularly roads that residents had waited for for years.
Wanga also questioned the preparedness of Ruto’s opponents ahead of 2027, accusing them of searching for a candidate without a clear political vehicle or policy agenda.
“Kuna wale watu wanajifanya ati wanashindana na sisi. Mimi nimewaambia sisi tumekaa nao siku mingi. Sasa wameanza ile mambo walikuwa wanafanyia Baba, wakitoka hoteli hii wanaenda hoteli hii, wakitoka Nairobi wanaenda Naivasha mara Mombasa, ati wanatafuta candidate,” Wanga said.
This is translated to mean: "There are those people pretending to compete with us. I have told them that we have been with them for a long time. Now they have started doing what they used to do to Baba — moving from one hotel to another, from Nairobi to Naivasha and then Mombasa, claiming they are looking for a candidate."
She claimed the opposition lacked a political party, policies and a presidential candidate, contrasting this with what she described as a prepared broad-based team.
“Hawana chama, hawana sera, hawana candidate, hawana mambo. Sisi tuko na kiongozi Ruto na Oburu Oginga na tumejipanga,” she said.
Wanga also rejected calls for ODM members to abandon the broad-based arrangement, maintaining that the party remained united and focused on securing development for the region.
Ruto's challenge places development and competing policy agendas at the centre of the emerging 2027 political contest, as his administration seeks to consolidate its support in Nyanza and beyond.
