- Ruto rallied his Rift Valley stronghold to back his re-election bid, while ODM Deputy Party Leader Simba Arati called for a broad-based political strategy in the grassroots to capture more elective seats.
- He took aim at opposition leaders, challenging them to offer policy alternatives instead of slogans and calls for his removal from office.
President William
Ruto has dismissed opposition leaders as no match for his leadership and
political strategy, challenging them to present clear policies ahead of the
2027 General Election.
Speaking in
Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, the President rallied his Rift Valley stronghold
to back his re-election bid, while Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Deputy
Party Leader Simba Arati called for a broad-based political strategy in the
grassroots to capture more elective seats.
Touring Uasin
Gishu and Nandi counties, the President took aim at opposition leaders,
challenging them to offer policy alternatives instead of slogans and calls for
his removal from office.
“Ndio mimi
nawaambia, yule Mr Empty, Mr 40 na Mr Yala, tafadhali my friends, tafuteni
sera. Wachana na hasira ya ‘Must Go’... tafuteni sera. Wakenya ni watu wako na
akili,” he said.
Ruto accused his
political rivals of promoting division, exclusion and ethnic politics,
insisting that such rhetoric would not win them public support.
“I want to tell
our competitors here in my hometown: don't sell us hate, don't sell us anger,
don't sell us division, don't sell us exclusion, don't sell us ethnicity. We
have no business with that,” he stated.
Arati urged Rift
Valley voters to embrace a broad-based strategy, arguing that cooperation
across party lines could help the alliance secure more elective seats.
“Mkikosana na UDA,
wewe ruka ODM, na mkikosana na ODM, wewe ruka UDA. Hivyo ndivyo tutapata viti
mingi zaidi,” said the Kisii Governor.
The President
defended his administration's record, insisting that his government had
delivered on its economic promises and challenging critics to account for their
alternative plans.
“The economy we
promised to stabilise, we have stabilised. Our exchange rate is stable, our
interest rates are stable. Our economy is the sixth largest in Africa,” he
said.