The truce became public this week after Gideon, a two-term
senator and leader of the independence-era party KANU, failed to present his
nomination papers for the upcoming Baringo senatorial by-election.
His withdrawal came just a day after a private meeting with
President Ruto at State House, Nairobi, a development that stunned observers
who long believed the two leaders could not see eye to eye.
The decision marked the first public show of unity between
two political figures whose rivalry has shaped Rift Valley politics for over a
decade.
The by-election in Baringo was triggered by the death of UDA Senator William Cheptumo, who had defeated Gideon Moi in the 2022 General Election.
Gideon’s planned comeback was widely seen as an attempt to
reclaim lost ground and reassert KANU’s relevance in a region long dominated by
Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance.
But in a dramatic twist, Gideon shelved his bid after his
meeting with the President, a move insiders say was part of a broader
reconciliation effort between the Moi family and President Ruto.
The meeting ended one of the most perceived bitter chapters
in Kenyan politics.
For years, Gideon Moi and William Ruto stood on opposite
ends of the political divide; Ruto representing a new, populist wave, and
Gideon carrying the legacy of a family synonymous with Kenya’s
post-independence leadership.
In his official statement on the truce, Gideon Moi framed
the decision as one rooted in patriotism and maturity.
“We’ve elected to pursue the path of unity and shared
purpose at this crucial point of our nation,” he said.
“As such, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the people of Baringo for their support and for granting us a chance to move beyond our differences and mold a cohesive and prosperous nation.”
The remarks carried heavy symbolic weight, particularly given the long-standing hostility between the two men.
Their rivalry dates back to the early 2000s, when Ruto began
his rapid rise in national politics, eventually eclipsing KANU’s dominance in
the Rift Valley.
Gideon, who later
inherited the KANU leadership, sought to re-establish the party’s authority and
present himself as a unifying figure for the Kalenjin nation.
During the burial of former President Daniel arap Moi in
2020, Gideon was handed a symbolic baton by family elders, a gesture widely
interpreted as the passing of the family’s political mantle.
Yet, even as he inherited his father’s legacy, Ruto had
already secured overwhelming grassroots support across the Rift Valley, a
factor that made any power struggle between them inevitable.
Their differences reached a peak during the 2022 General
Election, when Gideon threw his weight behind Raila Odinga of the Azimio la
Umoja coalition, Ruto’s main rival.
The decision angered sections of the Kalenjin community who
viewed it as a betrayal, cementing the political gulf between the two leaders.
Tensions were also reflected in personal relations. When the
late President Moi was ailing, reports emerged that Ruto had been denied access
to visit him, an episode that symbolized the frost between the two political
camps.
But time, it seems, has healed old wounds.
President William Ruto and former Senator Gideon Moi at Kabarak on Friday, October 10, 2025.
Following the State House meeting, President Ruto visited
the Moi family home in Kabarak, Nakuru County, where he was warmly received by
Gideon and other family members.
The President later laid a wreath at the graves of the late
Daniel arap Moi and his wife, Lena Moi, a gesture that underscored the depth of
the reconciliation.
On Friday, in a meeting with Kanu supporters at the Kabarak
home of Gideon Moi, Ruto confirmed the reconciliation, telling a gathering in
Nakuru, “Kama iko maneno imetokea, blame it on me, mimi ndiye nilitafutana na
Gideon.”
The President added, “I told him, tafadhali kuja, because
the destiny of Kenya is far greater than what I can get or what Gideon can
get.”
He went further to urge national unity, saying, “I want to tell you, members of KANU and fellow Kenyans, that is not enough. We need to lift this country to the next level, and to do that, we must pull together.”
President William Ruto and former Senator Gideon Moi at Kabarak on Friday, October 10, 2025.
Ruto also extended an olive branch to KANU members,
emphasizing their role in nation-building.
“You, as members of KANU, have a great responsibility in the
destiny of this country,” he said.
“Pulling together can
lift Kenya. We want a successful nation. We want to move from a third-world
country to a first-world nation — that was the dream of our founding fathers.
The rapprochement is both symbolic and strategic. For Ruto,
it helps consolidate unity in the Rift Valley ahead of the 2027 elections.
For Gideon, it marks a political reset and an opportunity to
reposition himself within the national conversation.
For the Rift Valley and the nation, his handshake with President Ruto marks the end of one political era and the beginning of another, a quiet but profound moment in Kenya’s unfolding history.
For staging one of Kenya’s most unexpected political turnarounds, choosing reconciliation over rivalry, unity over division, and proving that even in the heat of political competition, statesmanship can prevail over stubborn pride, Gideon Moi is our Hotshot of the Week.
