President William Ruto has questioned how retired President Uhuru Kenyatta expects to defeat him in the 2027 General Election, arguing that the former president failed to do so while still in office.
Speaking in Siaya on Tuesday during his development tour of Nyanza, Ruto also criticised leaders associated with the Linda Mwananchi movement, including Siaya Governor James Orengo, claiming they were opposing his administration on behalf of the retired president.
Ruto questioned whether Uhuru, who left office in 2022, could now defeat him while he is the sitting President.
“So Uhuru Kenyatta did not defeat me when he was President, and now I am the President, and he is retired — is he going to defeat me?” Ruto asked, drawing cheers from the crowd.
“Look for another issue, please,” he added.
Ruto said he was surprised that Uhuru had chosen to remain involved in opposition politics after leaving State House, instead of assuming what he described as the role of a statesman.
“I am surprised that someone who has been President of Kenya, after leaving the presidential seat, instead of becoming a statesman, chooses to become a leader of the opposition,” he said.
The President further claimed Uhuru was using other politicians to challenge his administration, describing some of them as the retired president's “puppets” and “stooges”.
He singled out Orengo and other leaders linked to Linda Mwananchi, questioning their political agenda.
“Now he has hired Orengo and others. They have no agenda, they have no policies, they have no sense, they are useless,” Ruto said.
Ruto also questioned whether Siaya residents elected Orengo to represent the interests of another politician.
“Did you elect someone to go and become Linda's sponsor? To become someone else's puppet? To be hired by someone somewhere?” he asked.
He urged Orengo to focus on delivering services to Siaya residents instead of engaging in political disputes.
“Now he has become someone who can be hired; he has become a puppet; he has become someone's stooge, someone who retired a long time ago,” Ruto said.
The remarks came as Ruto called on Orengo to work with the national government on development projects in Siaya despite their political differences.
He cited plans to construct a modern hospital in the county, saying the national government had released Sh550 million under an agreement requiring the county government to contribute an additional Sh500 million.
“We had agreed with the county government when they came to see me that I would give them Sh550 million and they would contribute Sh500 million so that we could build a modern hospital for the people of Siaya,” Ruto said.
“I have now released the Sh550 million. I am asking my brother Orengo to stop the Linda sponsor politics and come so that we can build the hospital here in Siaya,” he added.
Ruto and Uhuru's political relationship deteriorated after the 2018 handshake between Uhuru and then opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Ruto, who was Uhuru's deputy at the time, was later elected President in the 2022 General Election after defeating Odinga.
