Lawyer Willis Otieno has sharply criticised Kenya’s political class for engaging in what he termed as “noise” and petty rivalries, following a heated verbal exchange between President William Ruto and the United Opposition leaders.

Taking to his official X account on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, Otieno accused legacy politicians of reducing leadership to personal attacks and distractions, warning that such conduct undermines efforts to address the country’s pressing challenges.

“Too many of our legacy politicians have reduced leadership to noise, personal attacks, petty rivalries, and manufactured drama. They thrive on distraction because they have nothing meaningful left to offer the people,” Otieno stated.

Otieno lamented that while leaders trade insults, millions of Kenyans continue to grapple with unemployment, a strained healthcare system, and rising economic pressure.

“Meanwhile, young Kenyans are jobless, healthcare remains a daily struggle, and families are stretched past their limits. We cannot afford a politics obsessed with farts, fashion, and irrelevancies when the nation is gasping for solutions,” he added.

The lawyer, who is also the Safina Party deputy leader, used the moment to position the party as an alternative voice focused on substance over spectacle. He said Safina is committed to restoring seriousness in public discourse and prioritising policies that directly impact citizens.

“Kenya doesn’t need louder politicians; it needs leaders who listen, think, and act,” Otieno stated.

Ruto-Opposition public spat

His remarks come in the wake of a public spat in which President Ruto took a swipe at opposition figures over their physical fitness, prompting sharp responses and escalating political tensions.

President Ruto, while speaking in Cheptais, Mt Elgon, in Bungoma County during his tour of the Western region on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, had encouraged opposition leaders to go to the gym.

Ruto argued that the opposition leaders’ ‘big bellies’ could be behind their struggles to stay awake during official meetings.

“Kwanza nawaambia baadhi yenu mwende gym; acheni kula chakula kingi. Matumbo yamejaa hadi vichwa vinakaribia kupasuka. Mnalala kwenye mikutano hata mchana,” Ruto said.

Ruto also took on the opposition leaders, warning them against scaving for attention in the ongoing governance challenges at Nairobi Hospital.

“To the brainless opposition, the governance challenges at the Nairobi Hospital were nothing more than an opportunity to scavenge for cheap headlines and attention,” Ruto said.

Matiang’i hits back

In response, Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Fred Matiang’i noted that although he respects the presidency, he was perturbed by the Head of State’s remarks against the leaders of the opposition, questioning why Ruto could be concerned about what they eat.

“Rais wetu mimi namheshimu, na naheshimu ofisi yake. Ndio maana mimi sijaongea mambo yake mbeleni. Lakini leo ameanza sasa kukutusi sisi, watu wote wa opposition,” he said.

The former interior cabinet secretary emphasised that the country, six decades after independence, deserves leadership that focuses on pressing national issues rather than personal attacks over diet and body shape.

“Yaani, nchi yetu leo, six decades after independence, ati at a presidential campaign level, tuanze kuongea mambo ya kukula. Ati nani anakula zaidi, nani anakula wapi. I am doing this with a lot of pain.

He further defended his own dietary habits, joking about his visits to Kisii for local food, and questioned why Ruto seemed bothered by what he eats.

“First of all, mimi sijui kwanini unasumbuka vile mimi nakula, kwa sababu mimi sikuli kwa bibi yako. Hujaniona nikienda kutafuta chakula kwa bibi yako ama kwa watu wako. Mimi nakula ndizi kule Kisii kwetu na ugali. Sasa kama hiyo ndio inakusumbua, mbona mimi sijakuja kukuuliza vile wewe umekonda?” Matiang’i quipped.