Former President Uhuru Kenyatta addressing the Jubilee Party’s National Delegates Conference (NDC) at Ngong Racecourse, Nairobi, September 26, 2025. /SCREENGRABFormer President Uhuru Kenyatta has taken a swipe at his successor, William Ruto, accusing him of being intolerant of dissenting voices.
Citing the government’s heavy-handed response to Gen Z protests, Uhuru argued that true leadership stems from learning from past mistakes to build a better future for the common good, rather than advancing class politics of the “haves” and “have-nots.”
“This requires always having an open mind and a listening ear, even to those you disagree with—and especially to the voices of our younger generations,” he said.
Uhuru made the remarks on Friday while addressing the Jubilee Party’s National Delegates Conference (NDC) at Ngong Racecourse, Nairobi.
He stressed that such an approach is vital in a fast-changing world where real transformation demands inclusivity and dialogue.
According to him, this balance is what creates a hopeful nation—one at peace with itself and not trapped in despair.
“In the last general elections, I endeavoured to pass this message. Unfortunately, it fell on deaf ears and was drowned out by insults, character assassinations, myths, and stories of dynasties and hustlers,” he said.
He lamented that, as a result, many of the gains achieved during his administration had been eroded, citing the collapse of programmes like Linda Mama, which he said had been replaced with untested schemes.
“And while we wait for these experiments to work, Kenyans suffer and our progress is retarded,” he said.
Though Uhuru and Ruto started out as political allies in the 2013 elections, they fell out ahead of the 2022 polls, with Uhuru throwing his weight behind ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Since Ruto’s narrow victory, their relationship has remained frosty, and Uhuru left little doubt that he believes his successor has failed to live up to expectations.
Ruto rose to the presidency by mobilising working-class Kenyans he branded as “hustlers” and pitting them against Raila and Uhuru, whom he cast as “dynasties.”
Although the two leaders have met several times since Uhuru left office, the once formidable “UhuRuto” partnership remains a shadow of its former self.
