Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has accused President William Ruto of continuing to blame his administration for problems facing the country, four years after Ruto succeeded him as president.
Kenyatta made the remarks on Tuesday at Jubilee Party headquarters, where he chaired a National Executive Council meeting as the party prepares for its next phase ahead of the 2027 General Election.
He said Ruto and his political allies had been given the opportunity to govern after winning the 2022 election and should now focus on their own record rather than repeatedly invoking his administration.
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"We accepted that they won. Four years later, it is still Uhuru this and Uhuru that. But when things are not working, you start blaming someone else. Kenyans are smart, they know," Kenyatta said.
He questioned why his name continued to feature in explanations for problems facing the country several years into Ruto's presidency.
"And now, after four years, he is still talking about Uhuru this, Uhuru that, Uhuru this. Surely, you were given leadership so that you could continue talking about Uhuru here?" Kenyatta said.
He said leaders should accept responsibility for their performance instead of looking for explanations elsewhere.
"But you know, when something is not working, you have to try to find an excuse," Kenyatta said.
Kenyatta's remarks came days after Ruto renewed his criticism of his predecessor during a development tour of Nyanza.
Speaking in Sindo, Suba South Constituency, on September 17, Ruto accused Kenyatta of leaving behind a struggling economy and said his administration had since stabilised it.
"You left the economy in tatters, but we have stabilised it," Ruto said.
Ruto also criticised Kenyatta's continued involvement in opposition politics and accused him of supporting efforts to frustrate the current government.
The President said Kenyatta had failed to deliver in areas including housing, healthcare, roads and education during his time in office, while claiming that his administration was now making progress in those areas.
Ruto also revisited his political relationship with Kenyatta, saying he had supported him in several elections but did not receive similar backing when he sought the presidency in 2022.
"I respect you, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta. I supported you four times. But when it came to your turn to support me, you shifted the goalposts," Ruto said.
The two leaders were political allies during the 2013 and 2017 elections, when they ran together on the Jubilee ticket, with Kenyatta as president and Ruto as his deputy.
Their relationship later deteriorated, particularly after Kenyatta entered a political agreement with opposition leader Raila Odinga in 2018.
The two subsequently backed opposing candidates in the 2022 presidential election, with Ruto defeating Odinga, who had Kenyatta's support.
Kenyatta's latest comments also came as he prepares to relinquish his formal leadership position in Jubilee Party following a High Court ruling that retired presidents cannot continue holding political party offices beyond the period provided for under the law.
He said he would move into a senior advisory role as the party reorganises itself ahead of the 2027 election.
"I have decided to step down from that top position and become a senior advisor, since I am still here. I will remain a senior member of Jubilee in the meantime as we wait for the NDC. My younger brother should take up that position, and we organise ourselves for the work of 2027. That is not running away, that is planning ahead," he said.
Kenyatta also declared his support for former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i, who has been endorsed by Jubilee as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
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"I am supporting Matiang'i because we want to bring an end to tribal politics. I have looked at him and seen a man of wisdom, not a man of corruption, but a man of work," Kenyatta said.
He said Jubilee would seek to work with other political groups and Kenyans as it prepares for the next election, while distancing himself from personal exchanges with his critics.
"We want to look for leaders who will bring services to citizens and reduce corruption. I cannot engage in insults with them. I do not have time for that. I want to unite with all of you, for Jubilee to unite with other Kenyans, and for us to chart the way forward for Kenya," he said.
The exchange between Kenyatta and Ruto adds to an increasingly public political disagreement between the former allies as Kenya heads towards the 2027 General Election.
