Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta speaks during a Jubilee Party meeting/SCREENGRABRetired President Uhuru Kenyatta has hit back at President William Ruto over his repeated criticism of his administration, telling the Head of State to focus on governing the country instead of blaming him.
Uhuru was speaking during the handover of the Jubilee Party leadership, days after the High Court upheld a law barring retired presidents from holding formal leadership positions in political parties more than six months after leaving office.
The former president questioned why Ruto continued to invoke his name nearly four years into his administration, arguing that the President had been elected to serve Kenyans.
“When court said they won, did you see us fight? We gave them all instruments of power in broad daylight. It was not at night, there was no war,” Uhuru said.
“And after four years, he is still saying Uhuru this, Uhuru that. Were you given leadership so that you continue to talk about Uhuru? Or were you given leadership to serve Kenyans?”
Uhuru said leaders often resorted to finding someone to blame when things were not going as expected, but warned that Kenyans could distinguish between explanations and the reality they were experiencing.
“But you know, when it is not working, one would want to find some excuse. He is saying it is not working because of him, that one. But Kenyans are smart people and they know,” he said.
The former president also responded to Ruto's description of him as a “sponsor” of opposition activities and, more recently, a “rebel leader”. Ruto has repeatedly accused his predecessor of undermining his administration and backing opposition political formations ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“He is now calling me sponsor, rebel leader. I will speak. I do not fear. Let them insult me and do what they want,” Uhuru said.
The former president also defended the record of his administration, saying his government achieved significant milestones despite facing major challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We achieved a lot with many challenges, Covid among others. We had our shortcomings and we accepted when we were wrong. Error is to human, only God does not make an error,” he said.
Uhuru also revisited the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), saying the project was intended to address inequalities in the distribution of resources and ensure Kenyans benefited fairly from the country's wealth.
“We came with BBI to ensure every Kenyan gets a fair share of the wealth, resources of Kenya,” he said.
His remarks came as he formally paved the way for the transition of Jubilee Party leadership following the High Court decision.
On September 14, Justice Lawrence Mugambi upheld Section 6 of the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act, which restricts retired presidents from holding leadership positions in political parties beyond six months after leaving State House. The ruling does not bar former presidents from belonging to political parties or participating in political activities.
Uhuru subsequently said he was ready to facilitate an open and lawful handover of the Jubilee leadership, with his office describing the court decision as providing the legal clarity needed to complete the delayed transition
