MP Wandeto: Ruto has lowered the stature of the presidency
By Ndiritu Wanjiru, May 25, 2026Tetu Member of Parliament Geoffrey Wandeto has asserted that President William Ruto has been more of a campaigner than a head of state.
Speaking in a morning interview with a local TV station on Monday, May 25, 2026, Wandeto has said that the behaviour of the presidency has slowly undermined the respect and dignity normally accorded to the office, noting that the public image of the president has created confusion over the distinction between governance and campaign politics.
The lawmaker has asserted that right from the time he was elected, he was back on the sunroof giving speeches on top of the vehicle, and has been doing the same for the past three and a half years.
“President William Ruto, unlike any other president, has lowered the stature of the presidency because from the day he was voted in, he immediately returned to the sunroof of the vehicle campaigning, and that has been his modus operandi for the last three and a half years,” Wandeto said.
“It’s no longer William Ruto the president; it looks like William Ruto the candidate, and now as the elections approach, he looks more and more like a candidate campaigning and looking for votes, and in a country where, as a candidate, people want to interact with you more closely, this has caused the security risks,” he added.
However, Wandeto said there are unintended consequences to this type of leadership, especially in a nation where political campaigners have to interact closely with the public during campaigning. He said that the fusion of government duties and public campaign appearances could be causing increased security risks at presidential events.
Presidential security compromise
The comments come as there has been a growing worry about lapses in presidential security in recent days, especially during public events, the last of which happened in Kilifi County on Sunday, May 24, 2026, where the security measures were seen as compromised.
President Ruto was addressing residents when a young man suddenly forced his way through security officers and rushed towards the podium.
Officers quickly tackled the man and dragged him away from the stage as panic spread among leaders and members of the public attending the event.