For the umpteenth time, former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, who resigned on Tuesday as one of President Ruto’s senior economic advisers, was quoted as saying that there would be no elections in 2027. 

Kuria’s remarks are not isolated, as several of Ruto’s advisers have in the recent past been quoted making similar pronouncements concerning the anticipated 2027 General Election. 

The remarks, in the context of political unrest and the failure to reconstitute the electoral agency IEBC, cannot be taken lightly. Elections are the heartbeat of governance in any democratic society.

They are the mechanism through which citizens hold their leaders accountable, renew mandates, or peacefully effect change.

Any attempt to alter this rhythm – especially for reasons rooted in political expediency – is not only mischievous but dangerously undemocratic. 

It is in this regard that recent suggestions by some of Ruto’s allies to postpone the 2027 elections should alarm every Kenyan who believes in constitutional order.

Cloaked in vague justifications like “development continuity” or “national stability”, these proposals amount to little more than a brazen power grab, designed to subvert the will of the people. 

The Constitution is unambiguous that general elections are to be held every five years. 

This timeline is not arbitrary; it is a foundational principle of our democratic compact.

Attempts to tamper with this provision – however cleverly disguised – are attempts to move the goalposts of democracy to favour incumbents. 

If allowed, it would set a perilous precedent: that those in power can manipulate timelines to suit their own political convenience. 

Kenya is not a playground for political experiments. Any attempt to change the election date would require a constitutional amendment, a referendum, and – above all – overwhelming public support.

That support simply does not exist. Indeed, public sentiment is already turning against a political class seen as increasingly self-serving and out of touch with the people’s struggles. 

Rather than scheming to extend their stay in office, Ruto and his allies should focus on delivering the promises made in 2022.

If the administration’s agenda is truly transformative, it should not fear the test of 2027. The best way to secure a second term is not to evade elections, but to earn them.