The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
President William Ruto has disclosed that he personally reached out to his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, first at his Ichaweri home and later at his office, in an effort to win his support for developing a broader national vision for Kenya.
Ruto said he approached Uhuru because he believes former leaders have an important role to play in shaping the country’s future and preparing the next generation of leadership.
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Speaking to journalists, the President said he had asked Uhuru, as a former Head of State, to help craft a new national vision capable of uniting the country and being passed down to future generations. He explained that he had gone out of his way to seek Uhuru out, visiting him first at his Ichaweri home before later meeting him at his office, where he made his appeal, urging Uhuru — as the only living former head of state — to help forge a unifying vision for the country.
According to Ruto, Uhuru appeared hesitant about taking on such a role, expressing uncertainty about whether he wanted to be involved.
Ruto said his outreach to Uhuru was part of a broader effort to bring together former national leaders to collaborate on a long-term vision for Kenya. He recalled a separate conversation with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who he said responded more positively and agreed that former leaders should play a role in this process. Ruto said he had told Odinga that, as elders and senior leaders of the nation, they should work together to build a bigger vision for Kenya that could eventually be handed over to the next generation of leaders.
However, Ruto said his efforts with Uhuru did not produce the outcome he had hoped for, claiming that the former President instead chose to remain active in opposition politics. He said Uhuru had the opportunity to take on what he described as a statesman’s role, rising above partisan politics to become a unifying figure for the country, but instead opted to align himself with opposition activities.
On Sunday, Uhuru pushed back against claims that he is interfering in Kenyan politics through opposition proxies, insisting he has no interest in seeking any political position. He said his time in leadership was an opportunity granted to him by Kenyans, and that he is now content to let the electorate decide the country’s future leadership.
Uhuru noted that leadership is earned through the will of the people, recalling that he had once been denied the presidency before later winning their support in a subsequent election. He urged Kenyans not to interpret his public statements as political maneuvering, reaffirming that he holds no ambition for any position and expressing gratitude for the years he was given to lead and for the trust Kenyans placed in him.
