Premature campaigns: Ruto now finds himself in Uhuru's position

President William Ruto addresses residents after the launch of the Sogoo-Melelo-Ololung'a Road on the second day of his tour of Narok County, May 7, 2025. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard] A time like this, four years ago, then-President Uhuru Kenyatta was pleading with his then deputy, William Ruto, to stop early campaigning and instead give the administration time to deliver to Kenyans. Now, Ruto finds himself in Uhuru's shoes. At the time, Uhuru urged Ruto and his allies to halt premature political activities and focus on development, arguing that there is a time for everything-time for politics and time to implement government policies. When his appeals were ignored, Uhuru distanced himself from Ruto and the so-called Tanga Tanga faction, accusing the then-DP of neglecting his duties as the President's principal assistant. Uhuru even challenged Ruto to resign and pursue his presidential ambitions outside government. "You say the government is bad on one hand, and on the other you say we have done this as a government. How many governments do we have in Kenya? There's only one government and when you talk about its good, stick with it. If you want to criticise it, leave," said Uhuru. In response, Ruto dismissed Uhuru's criticism, drawing a religious analogy. "Do you know the date of going to heaven? But you have faith that we are going to heaven? So with this 2022 which we know the date, the week and the month, is there a problem when we plan?" Ruto said during a fundraiser for 35 churches in Eldama-Ravine, Baringo County. Ironically, President Ruto is now the one asking his political rivals to stop early campaigns. However, he himself has been traversing the country in what appears, for all intents and purposes, to be a re-election campaign. On 29 May, Ruto accused opposition leaders of inciting the public and engaging in premature campaigns. He stated that he would not allow such politicians to derail the government's development agenda by keeping the country in a state of constant politicking. Ruto reiterated his commitment to fostering national unity and working with leaders across the political divide. "We have agreed with the opposition to end the politics of division and focus on the unity and development," he said during a recent tour of Kisumu and Homa Bay counties. He accused his former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka of engaging in perpetual politicking, name-calling, and sloganeering, claiming they lack a meaningful agenda for the country. Political analysts believe Ruto is now contending with a political strategy he helped to popularise, and that he is essentially the author of the same playbook now being used against him. According to political analyst Dr Judy Makira, Ruto introduced an unusual political approach by launching an internal opposition against a president while still serving as his deputy. "He initiated the opposition from within and successfully captured power. He also started early campaigns and kept the country in a sustained campaign mood-something unprecedented in recent political history. His critics are now following that same playbook. The question is whether they can sustain it. If they do, Ruto will be caught between a rock and a hard place," she observed. Prof Gitile Naituli noted that Ruto may now better appreciate the frustrations his predecessor faced. "The laws of this country stipulate when official campaigns should begin, but Ruto contravened these guidelines by touring the country for rallies and church fundraisers. He now understands why critics should stop inciting people-to allow time for delivery and to be judged based on performance when election time comes," he added.

Premature campaigns: Ruto now finds himself in Uhuru's position

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