President William Ruto is increasingly turning his economic agenda into a political message ahead of the 2027 General Election, positioning himself as a defender of Kenyan businesses, workers and local communities.
The President’s recent confrontation with foreign traders and his order for Tata Chemicals to leave Kenya have placed his administration’s economic nationalism at the centre of a growing political debate, with supporters portraying the moves as an effort to ensure Kenyans benefit more from the country’s resources and opportunities.
“I want to tell them to stop the politics of slogans and empty statements. Every leader seeking the support of Kenyans should tell the people what they stand for, what they plan to do and what they have achieved,” Ruto said during a tour of Kajiado County.
The President has increasingly challenged his political opponents to offer alternative policies instead of relying on criticism of his administration, signalling an early attempt to make the 2027 contest a referendum on his record in government.
“Don’t just sing ‘wantam’ or ‘Kasongo’; bring your agenda to the people. Tell Kenyans your policies and what you will do for them,” he said.
Ruto has also declared confidence that his record will secure him another term, challenging opposition leaders to explain what they would do differently if elected.
“I will defeat my competitors in the morning because they don’t have a plan—just slogans and noise,” the President said.
His political messaging has coincided with a tougher stance on foreign economic interests, most notably the decision to order Tata Chemicals Magadi to leave Kenya.
The President accused the company, which has operated at Lake Magadi for decades, of failing to generate sufficient benefits for the local community despite exploiting the area’s soda ash resources.
“Tata Chemicals Magadi has had a contract for 100 years, and they have done nothing. I told them the other day to pack up and leave,” Ruto said in Kajiado.
Ruto has argued that Kenya should no longer export raw resources without ensuring that local communities benefit through employment, manufacturing and investment.
The President said the government would bring in new investors who would establish manufacturing facilities in the area, including a glass factory, instead of allowing the continued export of raw materials.
The decision, however, has triggered opposition criticism, with political leaders questioning the circumstances surrounding the shutdown and warning that the move could undermine investor confidence.
Citizen Democratic Party Secretary-General Senator John Methu accused Ruto of personally ordering the closure and alleged that the decision was motivated by interests beyond regulatory compliance.
“It is William Ruto who does not want Tata Chemicals to continue working,” Methu said.
Methu further alleged that the President had sought a stake in Tata Chemicals before the company was ordered out of the country. The allegations have not been independently established.
The senator warned that the dispute could have consequences for Kenya’s reputation as an investment destination.
“If a company of that magnitude can be closed by the whim of a President, it will scare away investors who want to come and invest in Kenya,” Methu said.
Tata Chemicals has maintained that it is compliant with regulatory requirements and said it remains committed to engaging with the Kenyan government through legal and regulatory channels.
The controversy surrounding Tata has now merged with another politically sensitive issue — the government’s crackdown on foreign nationals operating small-scale businesses.
Ruto’s directive targeting foreigners without the required work permits took effect on Monday, triggering scenes of anxiety among foreign traders, particularly Burundians living and working in Kenya.
Hundreds of Burundian nationals reportedly gathered outside their embassy in Nairobi seeking travel documents, with some preparing to return home amid fears of enforcement action.
The government has since sought to clarify that documented foreign workers and business owners remain protected, while offering a temporary amnesty to undocumented East Africans to allow them to regularise their status.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei also sought to distance the government from reports that Ruto had ordered all foreign traders to close their businesses, saying the President’s remarks had been taken out of context and were linked to debate surrounding proposed employment legislation.
But the controversy has nevertheless given the President another platform to emphasise his message that economic opportunities should primarily benefit Kenyans.
The two disputes — involving foreign traders and Tata Chemicals — have therefore become part of a wider political narrative around jobs, local investment and control of Kenya’s resources.
Ruto has sought to frame that narrative as one of economic empowerment, arguing that foreign investors should create jobs and add value locally while Kenyan citizens should be protected from unfair competition in small-scale trade.
His critics, however, see the developments differently, accusing the administration of using economic nationalism to deflect attention from wider economic difficulties and strengthen the President’s political position ahead of 2027. Reuters reported that critics had accused Ruto of targeting foreigners amid Kenya’s economic challenges and the approaching election.
The President is expected to face an increasingly crowded opposition field as alliances take shape ahead of the election, with his administration’s economic record likely to become one of the central issues in the campaign.
For now, Ruto is betting that his message of jobs, local manufacturing, resource nationalism and development will resonate with voters more strongly than what he dismisses as opposition “slogans and noise.”
The political contest over his economic record, however, is only beginning.
