No end in sight to former President, UDA war of words

A political storm is brewing between former President Uhuru Kenyatta and the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) following remarks by the party’s Secretary General Hassan Omar, who accused Uhuru of sponsoring the opposition.

The tension escalated after Omar accused the Kenyatta family of being involved in land grabbing and made remarks that appeared to target the Agikuyu community.

In response, the former President accused the William Ruto-led administration of ethnicising the fuel crisis and urged it to stop political sideshows and focus on the challenges facing Kenyans.

Following Uhuru’s remarks, UDA —through Omar and party chairperson —issued a heavily worded letter describing the former President as “a spectacular failure driven by vengeance and bitterness over Ruto’s victory in the 2022 General Election.”

The party further dismissed Uhuru’s statements, claiming he had chosen political hostility over working with President Ruto for national stability, and accused him of mobilising against the administration “out of vengeance and resentment.”

In an open letter addressed to Uhuru, the ruling party accused him of harbouring a “toxic obsession” with Ruto and attempting to undermine the Kenya Kwanza administration.

“Temper your intense bitterness, fierce jealousy, endless envy, and toxic obsession with William Ruto. It is a fact that Ruto won the 2022 election against your wishes and political schemes. For once, be a democrat. Ruto is now the President of Kenya. That is a reality you must live with and accept,” the letter signed by Mbarire and Omar read in part.

The leaders accused Uhuru of handing over a struggling economy burdened by debt, high inflation and weakened institutions, while crediting the Ruto administration with stabilising the economy and averting a potential default.

“You were President for 10 years, and like every administration, yours had successes alongside monumental and gigantic failures that make your tenure incomparable not only to preceding administrations, but also to the first three years of the current administration. In many respects, you handed over one of the most broken governments in Kenya’s modern history,” they said.

UDA further blamed the former President for leaving behind “an economy suffocated by debt and headed dangerously towards default.

“What you handed over was not a functioning economy; it was a ticking time bomb. Ruto inherited the wreckage your administration left behind and stabilised the country. Kenya did not default despite the economic landmines you left behind,” the 12-page letter read.