Opposition MPs to Ruto: Kenyans did not elect you to write letters to Uhuru Kenyatta
By Mabonga Makhanu, June 3, 2026Members of Parliament allied to the opposition have issued a joint press statement defending former President Uhuru Kenyatta from a series of attacks by leaders affiliated with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
In a statement on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, the lawmakers took issue with a recent letter by the UDA party directed at the fourth president. They dismissed the letter and argued that President William Ruto was elected to lead and govern the country, not to write letters to his predecessor.
“They are constitutional obligations binding upon every holder of public office, including the president. Therefore, we tell you plainly, Mr President: stop hiding behind UDA officials. Stop outsourcing insults,” the MPs stated.
“Stop blaming retired leaders. Stop campaigning against the past. Start governing the present. Kenyans, Mr President, did not elect you to write letters to Uhuru Kenyatta. They elected you to lower the cost of living, create jobs, support farmers, improve healthcare, strengthen education, protect constitutional freedoms, and restore hope.”
Ali’s issue with Ruto
Nyali MP Mohammed Ali, while reading the statement, warned Ruto against attacking and blaming the same administration under which he served as a deputy president for 10 years.
The MPs stated that Ruto was not a stranger to the Jubilee administration, nor was he an opposition leader or commentator observing government affairs from the sidelines.
“Let us stop the pretence. William Ruto was not a stranger in the Jubilee administration. He was not an opposition leader. He was not a commentator watching the government from the roadside. He was the deputy president of the Republic of Kenya for 10 years. He sat in the cabinet, he defended the government policy, he launched projects, and he campaigned on Jubilee achievements. His supporters even called him a co-president,” the MPs added.
They argued that Ruto sat in Cabinet, defended government policies, launched projects, and campaigned on the achievements of the Jubilee administration. They further noted that his supporters had at one point referred to him as a co-president.
The opposition MPs maintained that any criticism directed at the previous administration was, by extension, criticism of a government in which Ruto was the second-highest-ranking official.
They stated that if there were issues related to debt, stalled projects, corruption, successes, or failures during that period, Ruto was part of the administration and therefore could not distance himself from its record.
Ruto’s role in the Uhuru regime
The lawmakers further argued that one could not participate in an administration for 10 years and later attempt to disown its actions and outcomes.
They emphasised that former President Uhuru Kenyatta peacefully handed over power in September 2022, attended Ruto’s inauguration, congratulated him, and subsequently retired from active politics, which they described as an example of constitutional democracy and statesmanship.
The MPs questioned why the UDA party was still focusing on Uhuru Kenyatta in 2026 despite his retirement in 2022. According to them, the continued attacks suggested that the current administration was attempting to create political enemies because it could no longer convincingly defend its own record in government.