Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has returned to the political stage with a familiar message for the Mount Kenya region: do not make the same choice twice. Speaking at a funeral in Kirinyaga County, the retired Head of State urged residents not to repeat what he called a mistake they made in 2022, a warning widely understood to mean that they should not re-elect President William Ruto in 2027.
Uhuru was speaking during the burial of Mwalimu Jackson Karua, the father of People's Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua. The family event quickly turned political, with the former President using the platform to speak directly to the voters who once formed his backyard.
A message with a smile
Uhuru did not shout or threaten. He delivered his message with the calm, teasing style that many Kenyans remember from his years in office. By the time he finished, though, there was little doubt about what he meant. His words were in support of the push by opposition leaders to make Ruto a one-term President, and he embraced the popular "Wantam" slogan that drives that campaign.
The moment felt like a replay of 2022. Back then, Uhuru and Ruto, who had worked together for years, ended up on opposite sides of one of the most bitter election contests in Kenya's recent history. Uhuru backed the late Raila Odinga against his own former deputy. Mount Kenya, however, largely voted differently, and Ruto went on to win the presidency.
Looking back at 2022
Before turning to the future, Uhuru reminded the crowd of what he said happened when they ignored his advice in 2022. He told them he was not bitter. According to him, he had warned them that they were making the wrong decision, but many believed they knew better. He said the decision was theirs to make and he had accepted it.
He then spoke about what could have been. He said he believed that if Raila, whom he referred to as "the Old Man," and Martha Karua had joined hands, Kenya would have made great progress. Raila is now deceased, and Uhuru's mention of him drew attention to how things have changed since the last election.
The former President said that making a mistake is not the real problem. The problem begins when a mistake is repeated. He asked the people of Kirinyaga whether they would repeat theirs, and he asked them to answer by raising their hands. He joked that he wanted it done openly so that nobody could later accuse him of putting words in their mouths. He added that he did not know what mistake they had made, but that they, as the people who knew, should decide for themselves. Then he asked if he had said anything wrong.
Njeri's push for one candidate
Uhuru's remarks followed those of Kirinyaga Woman Representative Jane Njeri, who had spoken about the question that has troubled the opposition for months: unity.
Njeri named a number of leaders who are said to be eyeing the top seat, including Martha Karua, Rigathi Gachagua, Kalonzo Musyoka, Fred Matiang'i and Edwin Sifuna. She told the gathering that voters were not too worried about how many leaders wanted to run. They could keep competing among themselves for now, she said, but in the end they should agree on a single candidate who would send "Kasongo" home. Kasongo is a nickname the opposition uses for President Ruto.
Uhuru picked it up from there. He asked the mourners whether they agreed with the Woman Representative. He repeated the question several times to make sure the answer was clear, then called on those in agreement to raise their hands. In his words, the crowd was to show him who agreed. Hands went up, and he moved on to his next point.
Responding to critics
The former President also used the occasion to answer those who have been criticising him. Allies of the Kenya Kwanza government have described him as a sponsor of the opposition, and he took that on directly.
He said he no longer cares what names he is called. Whether it is sponsor, rebel leader or drunkard, he said, he does not know what they will call him tomorrow. He said he feels sorry for his critics and that they are wasting their time. His reasoning was that a person who has nothing to do with them should not be the one they spend their energy on.
Uhuru pointed out that some of the same people who attack others for quarrelling go to church and say it is wrong for leaders to fight. He wondered why they then insult others in public. He advised them to leave the church and spend the next minute meeting other people instead of trading insults.
He called on the Kenya Kwanza administration to let Kenyans choose a leader of their own choice. In his view, that should be someone who delivers on promises, not someone who spends time on insults.
A message for the opposition
Towards the end of his speech, Uhuru turned to opposition leaders whose unity has been questioned a lot in recent months. Disagreements, differing ambitions and doubts about who should carry the flag have fed the talk that the opposition may split before 2027.
He sent them a message, but he did not deliver it himself. This time he wanted it to come from a politician from the opposition, which is how Njeri's words about one candidate came to carry so much weight at the burial.
What it could mean
Uhuru's appearance in Kirinyaga is likely to be read as more than a courtesy call to a grieving family. Mount Kenya remains one of the most important vote-rich regions in the country, and every side in the 2027 race knows it. The former President still has a following there, even if the last election showed that many voters do not simply follow his lead.
By speaking in Karua's home county, at the burial of her father, he linked himself publicly to one of the opposition's most prominent figures. By using humour, he also made a heavy political statement easy to digest. The show of hands, the repeated questions and the teasing tone all helped to make the message stick.
It remains to be seen whether Mount Kenya will respond the way Uhuru wants. The opposition will also have to prove that it can do what both Uhuru and Njeri asked for: speak with one voice and settle on one candidate. For now, the former President has made his position clear. He believes 2022 was a mistake, and he wants the region to avoid repeating it in 2027.
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