President William Ruto has written off the opposition as a weak contender in the 2027 elections, telling its leaders to brace for a political showdown.
He also turned his fire on Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, accusing him of standing in the way of national government projects in the county.
Ruto was speaking in Trans Nzoia during a national tree-planting exercise.
The President said funds are ready for a hospital in the county, but the project has been held up by what he called bad politics driven by spite, anger and hatred. “Mimi niko na pesa ya kuwajengea hospitali hapa,” he said, adding that the delay has cost residents an opportunity.
Ruto brushed aside the opposition’s challenge, saying he would deal with its leaders when the time comes and had already told them to get ready: “Na wale majamaa wengine msijali… nimewaambia wajipange.”
He accused them of having no clear development plan, arguing that Kenya needs direction rather than noise. “Hii Kenya inahitaji mpango bana, na inahitaji sera, na inahitaji maono,” he said, adding that the country has no use for hatred, tribalism or insults.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who accompanied the President, backed the charge. He said Natembeya had blocked projects including the rebuilding of Kenyatta Stadium in Kitale and other sports facilities, denying young people a chance to develop their talents.
Murkomen said the Kitale stadium should be built to the same standard as others across the country, and claimed the national government wanted to build it but the governor refused to hand it over.
Kiminini MP Kakai Bisau told residents they should stop making the President’s work harder, saying they have fewer than ten months to send away the governor, whom he described with a tribal slur. “Nyinyi ndio mko na chini ya miezi kumi,” he said.
The remarks show how early the 2027 campaign has begun, with Trans Nzoia, Natembeya’s home turf, emerging as a battleground between the government and the opposition. Natembeya has not yet responded in this account, so his side of the story remains to be heard.
