The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta has responded to recent criticism from President William Ruto, accusing the Head of State of inconsistency and urging political leaders to exercise restraint in their exchanges.
Speaking on Saturday at the burial of Mwalimu Jackson Karua, father of People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua, in Gichugu, Kirinyaga County, Kenyatta said he was not bothered by the criticism, noting that his time as President was already behind him.
Kenyatta said those who continued to insult or attack him were wasting their time because he had nothing to lose and remained grateful for the opportunity he had to serve as president.
He also questioned calls for politicians to stop using insulting language, arguing that such appeals should equally apply to leaders who attack their political opponents.
The remarks come amid an increasingly public political exchange between Kenyatta and Ruto as the country heads towards the 2027 General Election.
Ruto has recently accused his predecessor of supporting opposition politicians and political movements opposed to his administration.
In September, Ruto claimed that opposition figures were being mobilised by a political sponsor to challenge government programmes and also criticised aspects of Kenyatta’s record while in office.
Kenyatta has previously denied plans to return to elective politics and rejected the description of him as a political “sponsor”, maintaining that Kenyans should be free to determine who leads them.
The political dispute has also emerged amid differing court decisions concerning the political rights of retired presidents.
On September 21, High Court Justice Bahati Mwamuye ruled that provisions preventing former presidents from holding political party positions more than six months after leaving office were unconstitutional.
The decision followed an earlier High Court ruling that had upheld the restriction, resulting in conflicting judgments over the issue.
