President William Ruto has accused former President Uhuru Kenyatta of failing to move on from the outcome of the 2022 General Election.
Speaking in an interview at State House, the Head of State responded to a newspaper headline on August 2 that highlighted plans for a possible opposition coalition involving Uhuru, with reports that the former president was taking a more active role in efforts to unite groups opposed to Ruto.
Ruto Questions Uhuru’s Reaction to 2022 Election
Ruto distanced himself from the headline, saying he had no role in how the newspaper framed the emerging political developments.
Also Read: Ruto Reveals Failed Attempts to Win Over Uhuru After Private Meetings
The Head of State said the newspaper headline was not evidence of his involvement in the political developments being reported, distancing himself from the framing of the story.
“It is, it’s an open secret, you know, that my predecessor has not gotten, you know, out of what happened in 2022. That despite everything he did, I won the election. Secondly, he made a prediction himself,” said Ruto.
Ruto and Uhuru had a political partnership during the latter part of Uhuru’s presidency before their relationship deteriorated ahead of the 2022 election.
Uhuru backed Azimio la Umoja presidential candidate Raila Odinga, while Ruto, who had served as Uhuru’s deputy, ran under the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket.
Ruto’s comments come as former political allies and opposition leaders explore new arrangements ahead of the 2027 election.
Ruto Recalls Uhuru’s Three-month Prediction
Ruto also revisited what he described as Uhuru’s prediction that his administration would not survive the economic difficulties facing the country.
According to Ruto, Uhuru had made the prediction publicly before members of the Azimio Parliamentary Group, arguing that the new administration would fail within three months.
The President claimed Uhuru was aware of the financial pressures facing Kenya at the time, including the country’s debt position and risk of default.
Ruto argued the prediction did not come to pass, saying his administration steered Kenya away from default while implementing measures to stabilize the economy.
“He made a prediction himself, in public, before a whole PG of Azimio, that William Ruto was going to fail within three months. Because he knew very well that the country was in dire straits. He knew about the default, he knew about the state of the economy, and he was, he prophesied that it was going to collapse within three months. And so, I am sure he has a problem that I managed; the country did not default,” added Ruto.
Ruto Lists Economic Gains Under His Administration
President Ruto has defended his administration’s economic performance, arguing that the country is in a stronger position than when he took office.
Also Read: Uhuru Hits Back at Ruto Over Sifuna Sponsor Remarks
He said inflation had declined, foreign-exchange reserves had increased, and the government had managed interest and exchange rates.
He further claimed that Kenya’s foreign-exchange reserves had increased significantly and that the country had achieved greater economic stability.
The Central Bank of Kenya has reported an improvement in foreign-exchange reserves over the period. However, the level has also been affected by factors including import demand, debt payments and external financing.
Inflation has also eased from the elevated levels witnessed during the global inflationary period.
Ruto also said his administration had improved Kenya’s standing among investors and claimed the country had become the sixth-largest economy in Africa.
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