Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta has criticised President William Ruto and leaders allied to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), accusing them of allowing divisive ethnic politics to take root ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Speaking on Monday, May 25, 2026, during a Jubilee Party delegates’ meeting in Kiambu, Uhuru condemned recent political remarks he described as dangerous and inflammatory, while faulting national leaders for failing to call out such rhetoric publicly.

Without directly naming individuals, the Jubilee Party leader appeared to reference recent comments made by UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar during President Ruto’s tour of the Coast region.

“Nobody is supposed to threaten a certain community because we are all Kenyans, and God knows why we are together in this country. You should not divide us,” Uhuru stated.

Uhuru questioned why leaders present during the remarks remained silent, accusing them of tolerating ethnic-based politics instead of promoting unity.

“We have started seeing others spreading divisive ethnic politics. They don’t have shame while saying these things. They are making the remarks in front of leaders of our country, and nobody tries to stop them,” he said.

His remarks come amid mounting criticism directed at Hassan Omar over comments made during a rally in Mombasa, where he is said to have made statements perceived to target the Mount Kenya community and intensified attacks against Uhuru.

“It’s not that we lack knowledge. We have been struggling while you oppressed us as we watched. We have no problem with anyone, but you can’t always show us arrogance and pride. We also went to school; we are not stupid or lazy,” Omar stated during the rally.

Uhuru warned that such statements risk reviving the kind of ethnic tensions that previously plunged the country into violence after the disputed 2007 elections.

“As a nation, it is good to tell ourselves the truth. This is not the first time we are seeing leaders making divisive remarks that promote violence, and we last saw the same in 2007, which fueled the violence,” he added.

The fourth president urged political leaders to focus on issue-based politics and peaceful campaigns instead of rhetoric that could destabilise the country.

He also explained why he has remained active in politics despite retiring from office, saying persistent court battles involving the Jubilee Party forced him to stay on as party leader.

“When I left the presidency, I handed over power peacefully and stepped away in good faith. Some people saw it as an opportunity to tarnish our party. They dragged us into unnecessary court battles that should never have happened,” he said.

Uhuru maintained that his continued involvement is aimed at stabilising the party and overseeing a smooth leadership transition.

“I would have stepped away completely were it not for the court cases initiated by certain individuals. But here we are,” he added.

He further revealed that Jubilee had already begun restructuring its leadership following amendments to the party constitution.