President William Ruto has challenged politicians eyeing leadership positions to present their records and plans for the country, saying the next electoral contest should focus on performance and solutions rather than blame and ethnic divisions.
The President spoke on Friday evening during an Iftar dinner held at State House in Mombasa where he hosted Muslim leaders and government officials. In his address, he said attempts to divide Kenyans along ethnic lines will fail and insisted the country must remain united.
“And let me assure you that those who believe in division, those who believe in exclusion, the ethnic chiefs, they will not succeed in this country. And they cannot divide this nation,” he said.
Ruto noted that Kenyans already understand the difficulties facing the country and what matters now is which leaders can provide workable answers.
“Every leader and leadership in Kenya is going to be measured by your track record and your plan on how you are going to make this country better, not on how you tell us about the challenges of our nation. We all know what the challenges of Kenya is. The difference is going to be made by those who have a plan and a solution for the challenges we face as a nation. Tunaelewana jameni,” he said.
The President also referred to the administration’s 10-point agenda, saying many doubted its implementation when it was introduced but the government has since delivered visible progress under the plan.
“We have demonstrated that when we signed the 10-point agenda, many people thought we were not serious about it. Today, we have a credible track record on what we have done on the 10-point agenda and on the transformation of our nation,” he said.
Ruto said he is ready for voters to assess whether he has fulfilled the promises he made when seeking office.
“I said yesterday, I will repeat again. I went to the people of Kenya with a plan. I made commitments. We rolled out a program and a manifesto. I am ready to be examined on the basis of the manifesto that I presented to the people of Kenya and I am ready for the exam, whether I did what I told the people of Kenya or I did not. That exam, I am ready for it,” he said, referring to the verdict Kenyans will deliver during the 2027 general elections.
He further called on other leaders to also present their records of service instead of resorting to insults or political attacks.
“I want to challenge all the other leaders, kila mtu akuje na track record yake, kama umekua kiongozi miaka mitano, leta track record ya miaka mitano, kama umekua kiongozi miaka kumi, leta track record ya miaka kumi, wacha kusumbua sisi. So, matusi, name calling, ukabila…leta track record yako, leta track record yako,” he said.
The President said leadership debates should centre on achievements and concrete plans for improving the country, urging politicians to avoid rhetoric that fuels division as the country heads toward the next election cycle.
