Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has renewed his warning to Mt Kenya voters against repeating what he considers their political mistake in the 2022 General Election, saying he has already forgiven the region for rejecting his preferred presidential candidate.
Speaking during an interview with a local vernacular radio station on Monday, October 26, as he marked his 65th birthday, Mr Kenyatta said residents should learn from their past political choices as the country prepares for the 2027 elections.
“I forgave you long ago. To err is not a mistake, but to repeat it,” he said, revisiting his unsuccessful attempt to rally the region behind the late Raila Odinga in the last election.
The former President had backed Mr Odinga, who ran on an Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya ticket alongside Martha Karua, after his political relationship with his then deputy, William Ruto, collapsed.
But Mt Kenya voters largely ignored Mr Kenyatta’s appeal and supported Dr Ruto, who won the presidential election on a United Democratic Alliance ticket.
Mr Kenyatta’s latest remarks come amid renewed political realignments ahead of the 2027 polls, with opposition leaders seeking to consolidate their support and challenge Dr Ruto’s re-election bid.
The former President has repeatedly returned to the 2022 contest, arguing that his preferred candidate would have delivered better leadership had voters followed his advice.
During a funeral service for Mwalimu Jackson Karua, the father of Ms Karua, in Gichugu, Kirinyaga County, on October 3, Mr Kenyatta reminded residents that he had warned them against the political direction they chose.
“I warned you in 2022 that the path you wanted to take was based on self-deception. You thought you knew better. I knew Raila, and I knew that with his partnership with Karua, this country would be much further ahead,” he said.
He also dismissed accusations that he was seeking to control the opposition or position himself for another political office, insisting that his interest was in the country’s leadership and direction.
Mr Kenyatta’s relationship with Dr Ruto has remained strained since the 2022 election, with the President and his allies repeatedly accusing the retired Head of State of supporting efforts to undermine the government.
In September, Mr Kenyatta hit back at the criticism, questioning why his name continued to feature in the administration’s political attacks nearly four years after he handed over power.
“We accepted that they won. Four years later, it is still Uhuru this and Uhuru that,” he said during a Jubilee Party meeting.
He accused leaders of shifting blame to their predecessors when faced with challenges, arguing that the government should concentrate on delivering services to Kenyans.
Mr Kenyatta has also backed former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, who has emerged as Jubilee Party’s presidential candidate, as the opposition weighs its options for the next election.
In October, he resigned as chairperson of the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition Council, saying it was time for a new generation to take up leadership roles. He, however, maintained that his departure from the position did not amount to abandoning the coalition.
