President William Ruto has hit back at his critics following backlash over his recent political alliance with KANU leader Gideon Moi, insisting that he will continue working with all leaders regardless of political or regional affiliations.
Speaking during a Sunday service in Nairobi on October 12, Ruto maintained that his mission to unite the country and push forward his economic transformation agenda would not be derailed by political noise.
The president’s comments came barely a day after former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua accused him of hypocrisy, claiming that his partnership with Gideon Moi was meant to isolate the Mt. Kenya region.
“I have already engaged nearly 80 percent of Members of Parliament and held talks with leaders from across the nation, including Uhuru Kenyatta, Raila Odinga, and Gideon Moi,” Ruto said.
“My goal is to see Kenya move from a third-world country to a first-world nation through unity and hard work," he added.
He vowed to continue meeting political figures from every region, noting that collective leadership was the only way to achieve lasting change in Kenya.
“For years, we’ve been trapped in poverty and joblessness. That era must end. We have the vision and capacity to take this country to the next level,” Ruto added.
The Head of State also defended his economic plan, which focuses on affordable housing, improved healthcare, and education reforms, saying his detractors would soon see tangible results.
His renewed call for unity comes after a Friday meeting in Kabarak, where Ruto and Gideon Moi announced a pact between KANU and the Kenya Kwanza coalition under what they called a “broad-based administration.”
However, Gachagua, while addressing a rally in Embu on Saturday, October 11, criticized the alliance, arguing that when Ruto calls for Kalenjin unity it is celebrated, but when he mobilizes Mt. Kenya leaders, it is branded as tribalism.
“When Kalenjins meet, it’s called unity, but when Mt. Kenya people come together, it’s suddenly tribalism,” Gachagua remarked. “He thinks we are fools.”
Ruto, however, dismissed the criticism, saying his focus remains on economic transformation and national unity, not political rivalry.
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