Kindiki to Ruto: Greatest gift you’ve given us in 2025 is closing of ranks with opposition

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has praised President William Ruto for fostering political inclusivity and national unity, saying the decision to close ranks with the opposition in 2025 had transformed Kenya’s political environment and enabled the government to advance key development programmes.

Speaking ahead of the President’s new year’s address at the Eldoret State Lodge, Kindiki said Kenya had for many years been deeply divided along political lines, a situation that often stalled consensus and slowed the implementation of major policy initiatives.

He noted that the political discourse toward the close of 2025 had shifted away from hostility and toward constructive debate centred on parties, programmes, and ideas.

“For a long time, we have been a bitterly divided nation, but as we close this year, you can see the discussions that are happening in the political space today are discussions about which party and which programme one side supports,” Kindiki said.

The Deputy President said President Ruto’s engagement with former political rivals, particularly those who had been in the Azimio la Umoja coalition, had expanded the national political space and reduced the tensions that had characterised earlier periods.

He described the move as the most significant leadership gesture made by the President during the year.

“I want to thank you, the greatest gift that you have given us as our leader, Mr President, in 2025 is the closing of ranks between us, who were on your side in 2022 and your political opponents who were in Azimio la Umoja,” Kindiki said.

According to Kindiki, the formation of a broad-based administration had strengthened national cohesion and made it easier for the government to mobilise political goodwill and legislative support for long-standing development priorities.

He said reduced political antagonism had allowed the country to focus on delivery rather than division.

“Now Kenya has a broader political space and that has helped us to forge national unity and to heavy lift some of the development programmes that have always been difficult to uplift because of a divisive political rhetoric,” he said.

The Deputy President singled out housing and health sector reforms as key beneficiaries of the new political alignment, arguing that such initiatives would have struggled to gain traction without cross-party backing.

“The housing and health programmes would not have been possible without the support of our brothers and sisters who have joined us to form the broad-based administration which you lead,” Kindiki said.

Kindiki said the government would continue to prioritise inclusive politics as a foundation for sustainable development, noting that unity and cooperation across political divides were essential to delivering tangible benefits to Kenyans.