A series of political rallies, combined with the push to promote Raila Odinga’s candidacy for the African Union (AU) Commission chairperson position, have emerged as key priorities for President William Ruto after the Gen Z protests.
This comes amid criticism of failing to tackle the growing high cost of living, rampant corruption, and the lack of essential services in the public sector, as expressed by young Kenyans who stormed Parliament on June 25 demanding the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024.
Critics and political commentators argue that Ruto’s support for Azimio leader’s AU bid is a strategic move to cool down Raila’s support base.
Pundits also say Ruto plans to inherit Raila’s voting bloc in the 2027 election.
Booker Ngesa, the vice chairperson of the Communist Party of Kenya, says Ruto brought Raila die-hard loyalists into government to curb the Gen Z protests, but he has failed to address the issues they raised.
“Ruto knows what Kenyans want. But as a politician who still believes in tribal politics, he wants Raila to demobilise Gen Z,” Ngesa said.
Despite an apparent ceasefire, there is a growing dissatisfaction with Ruto’s policy priorities, suggesting a challenging road ahead for his administration.
Many Kenyans interviewed believe Ruto is focusing more on winning his political opponents over to his side and his re-election campaign than addressing issues of high taxes, a costly education, public debt, corruption and unemployment.
Ngesa accuses Ruto of using taxpayers’ money to fund political rallies that do not benefit Kenyans.
He argues that Raila is leveraging Ruto’s support base to gain privileges associated with the AU chair.
“Ruto is using Raila for political survival after his administration’s failures,” Ngesa said.
Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua has criticized the broad-based government approach, comparing it to a “come-we-stay” marriage, which, she says, is illegal and unconstitutional.
Karua, Raila’s running mate in the 2022 election, says she would not work with Ruto, citing his management style.
“Regardless of the quality of Cabinet Secretaries he appoints, Ruto would interfere with their ability to lead,” Karua said. “I wouldn’t work for William Ruto. He will be the minister for everything and not let anybody work.”
“The Cabinet nominations are a diversionary tactic. Ruto got the message that the people want him to go and want a fresh start. His mandate was withdrawn,” she said.
Despite a move by Raila’s party to work with the ruling party, Karua maintains she and the ODM leader are in good terms but differ on principle.
“We remain friends, but we differ on principle,” she says.
Former Law Society of Kenya President Nelson Havi said the Ruto government has failed to enforce anti-corruption laws.
“If governors, CSs, and PSs who have looted Kenya were to be charged and convicted, we would recover trillions of shillings and deter theft,” Havi writes on X.
Karua called on Ruto to heed the demands of the youth to resign and allow fresh elections. She accused Ruto of using diversionary tactics, such as reshuffling his Cabinet to include old members, as a means to distract from his failures.
“While Generation Z has been demanding transparency and accountability, these appointments undermine those standards by aiming to breach the Constitution’s design and diminish accountability… this will result in unconstitutional practices in Parliament,” she said.
Gabriel Stanley, a student at Mount Kenya University says the President is out of touch with the country’s needs.
“President Ruto seems not to have the people’s interests at heart,” Stanley said.
Mercy Tarus, a young activist, echoed this sentiment, arguing on her social media platform that Kenya’s issues stem from a lack of political will to implement the constitution, not from constitutional flaws.
“Ruto knows Raila will lose, and he’s giving him too much publicity to blackmail him later,” Tarus said.
Leslie Christine, another student, criticized Ruto for his apparent lack of preparation during a recent interview.
“That he was not even aware of the 12-year-old boy’s death shows his unpreparedness and lack of awareness of what is happening in the country,” she said.
In response to Ruto’s recent statement that no names of abducted or disappeared persons have been presented since the start of anti-government protests, Peter Kiama, Executive Director of the Haki Yetu, accused Ruto of downplaying state violence.
“Ruto hopes the world will forget that during his reign, more than 50 people were killed, more than 300 people were injured, and over 50 abducted in 2024 while protesting against his bad policies,” Kiama said, adding, “And now the police have refused to cooperate with IPOA.”
