Kenya’s political arena was thrown into fresh turbulence after close allies of President William Ruto launched a blistering attack on former President Uhuru Kenyatta, dismissing him as a “weakling” who failed to manage his own succession.
“Uhuru Kenyatta is ranting over last elections but we have moved on! A weakling who could not manage his own succession, could not campaign for his preferred candidate while holding instruments of power!” said Member of Parliament for Alego Usonga constituency Samuel Atandi.
The remarks, widely seen as a direct shot at the former Head of State’s renewed criticism of the 2022 elections, underscore the deep and lingering animosity between the two once-close allies who fell out after the polls.
Uhuru, who had publicly backed opposition leader Raila Odinga in the last election, has recently sharpened his rhetoric against the Ruto administration, accusing it of economic mismanagement and political intimidation.
His former allies in government, and some ODM leaders however, have turned the heat back on him, portraying him as a failed political tactician who squandered the advantages of incumbency.
Political analysts warn that the open exchange of hostilities could signal a new front in Kenya’s charged political landscape, especially as parties quietly begin positioning for the 2027 race.
The war of words revives memories of the bitter 2022 succession battle that split the ruling Jubilee Party and redrew Kenya’s political alliances. Three years later, the wounds remain raw — and the rhetoric sharper than ever.