The 2027 election debate is already shifting from policy to a battle over who gets to define the truth, with National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed calling on Kenyans to look beyond political statements and check the facts for themselves.
Junet said the country had entered a politically sensitive period ahead of next year’s General Election, warning that the public would increasingly be exposed to claims and counterclaims from leaders seeking to shape opinion.
Speaking during a Citizen TV interview on Tuesday, Junet said politicians had a responsibility to back their public statements with evidence, particularly when making accusations against the government or individuals.
He argued that Kenyans should not simply accept information because it comes from a political leader, saying official records and publications provide a better basis for understanding the country’s situation.
Junet was responding to questions about the increasingly bitter exchanges between leaders supporting President William Ruto’s administration and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who has emerged as one of the government’s vocal critics.
The Majority Leader said such political confrontations were expected to increase as the country moves closer to the August 2027 elections.
“This is the season that has begun. This is August 10, and the election is next year, August 10. So we are in that season now, 10 months to the election,” he said.
He said government leaders would continue responding whenever opposition figures make allegations or raise questions about the administration.
The discussion also focused on whether the growing political exchanges risked reducing public debate to accusations that cannot easily be verified.
Junet was asked about claims made against various individuals and whether politicians were giving Kenyans enough evidence to independently establish the truth behind their statements.
He maintained that political criticism should be supported by facts and that leaders should be ready to show the basis for what they tell the public.
“Any time we wanted to criticise or say something, we used to attach evidence and say this is how it is and this is the evidence,” he said.
According to Junet, the absence of supporting information makes it difficult for citizens to determine which side of a political argument is presenting the truth.
He said the nature of political communication had changed, with leaders now able to make a wide range of claims without necessarily providing material to support them.
“Nowadays, you can say anything,” Junet said.
The Majority Leader was further questioned about the government's response to Gachagua and whether Kenyans had sufficient access to information needed to verify some of the claims made during the political exchanges.
Junet insisted that evidence was available to support some of the statements made by government leaders.
However, he also acknowledged that Kenyans needed to look beyond political statements and seek information from sources that regularly publish official figures and records.
The conversation then moved to the wider issue of how citizens can establish whether the government's record over the past four years matches the competing accounts being presented by politicians.
Junet said government institutions provide information that can help Kenyans assess developments in different sectors instead of relying solely on political commentary.
He cited the annual Economic Survey as one of the publications that citizens can consult when seeking information about the country's economic performance.
“If you want to know what's happening in the economy, there is the Economic Survey that is done by the Ministry of Finance, for example, every year, and they publish it,” he said.
Junet said such publications give the public an opportunity to examine information produced through established government agencies when assessing political claims.
He maintained that government departments and other public institutions regularly release information that can be used by citizens to form their own view of the country's progress.
The remarks come as political parties and leaders begin positioning themselves more openly for the 2027 contest, with the government's performance expected to remain a central issue in the campaign.
Junet said the political environment would become even more heated as election day draws closer, making it increasingly important for Kenyans to distinguish between political messaging and information that can be supported by evidence.
He said voters should not be left to choose between rival political narratives without having access to facts that can help them make informed judgments.
Junet's remarks also placed emphasis on the responsibility of politicians to substantiate statements made before the public rather than relying on the strength of their political platforms.
He said claims that cannot be supported with evidence should not be treated in the same way as information contained in official records.
As the political debate gathers pace, Junet maintained that Kenyans have access to government publications and data that can help them test the claims being made by leaders.
“What is not available to Kenyans, which is not substantiated, are the lies and propaganda,” he said.