Why Uhuru has no moral authority to lecture Ruto

President William Ruto taking retired President Uhuru Kenyatta on a tour around State House. [Courtesy/PSCU]

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta's recent broadside against President William Ruto was strikingly uncharacteristic. Since his retirement in 2022, Mr Kenyatta had largely withdrawn from the political arena, maintaining a posture of dignified silence. His sudden, acerbic remarks depart markedly from the precedent set by Kenya's previous heads of state, who, upon leaving office, generally refrained from public commentary on political affairs.

Uhuru has criticised Ruto's administration, denouncing its performance across several key domains of governance. In a pointed rebuke, he recalled cautioning the nation against conferring the presidency upon a figure he characterised as "divisive and opportunistic."