The Linda Mwananchi faction within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has criticised President William Ruto ahead of his planned trip to Tanzania, where he is scheduled to address the country’s parliament.

These come just minutes after President Ruto arrived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for an official state visit.

During the trip, the Kenyan Head of State is scheduled to speak before the Tanzanian Parliament on Tuesday, May 5, at 11 am.

Although the specific agenda of the address has not been fully disclosed, government officials have indicated that it will centre on enhancing bilateral ties and deepening cooperation and solidarity between Kenya and Tanzania.

In a statement issued on Monday, May 4, 2026, the group claimed that the visit amounts to endorsing what it described as a fraudulent government and disputed electoral process in Tanzania.

According to the faction, Ruto’s visit to Tanzania comes at a time when the legitimacy of Tanzania’s president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, is being questioned, and this risks being interpreted as an endorsement of contested political processes that, according to multiple international observer missions, fell short of democratic standards.

“By addressing the Tanzanian parliament, Ruto is attempting to place Kenya’s stamp of legitimacy on a fraudulent regime and electoral process,” the statement reads in part.

“In such a context, a high-profile presidential address risks being interpreted as an endorsement of contested processes and a troubling departure from Kenya’s longstanding commitment to democratic values.”

The group further referenced the detention of opposition figures, including Tundu Lissu of CHADEMA, a top opposition party in Tanzania, arguing that the political environment in the country was not conducive to a credible, peaceful, or democratic outcome.

Moreover, the group has recalled a previous incident in which Kenyan activists were said to have been mocked on the same floor after being mistreated in Tanzania. The group says the memory of the incident raises questions about the intent and timing of Ruto’s speech. on the same floor after being mistreated in Tanzania. The group says the memory of the incident raises questions about the intent and timing of Ruto’s speech.

“We have also not forgotten that it was on the floor of the Tanzanian Parliament, where Kenyan activists who were brutalised in Tanzania were mocked repeatedly, with some of the vilest comments coming from people who should essentially be honourable. We must therefore question the intent and timing of this address.”

At the same time, the faction linked the visit to Kenya’s political future, stating that the country is headed into a general election. According to the group, Ruto’s regional engagements could signal troubling precedents of democratic conduct back in the country.

“But we wish to categorically state that Kenya is neither Tanzania nor Uganda, and the wishes of the people here will prevail in 2027,” the statement said.

 “It is against this backdrop that the Linda Mwananchi leadership condemns in the strongest terms possible, this planned address to the Tanzanian parliament, and dissociates the Kenyan people from it entirely. Long-suffering Tanzanian citizens expect nothing less from their Kenyan allies.”