‘I campaigned for you in 1992’: Ruto tells Kalonzo to back his 2027 re-election

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 26 – President William Ruto has challenged Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka to shelve his presidential ambitions and support his re-election bid in 2027, arguing that the former Vice President should return the political favour he received from him more than three decades ago.

Ruto said he campaigned for Kalonzo when he contested the Mwingi North parliamentary seat on a KANU ticket in the 1992 General Election, when the President was a member of the Youth for KANU ’92 (YK92) movement.

Speaking in Kitui County on Monday, October 26, Ruto recalled travelling to Mwingi to campaign for Kalonzo, who won the seat, and urged him to reciprocate by backing his second-term bid.

“In 1992, I came here to Mwingi to campaign for Kalonzo. I was in YK92 at the time, and I came to campaign for him under the KANU party. He won,” Ruto said.

“Now tell him to remember me next year. Let him return the favour,” he added.

The President appealed to the Wiper leader to remember their political history as the country prepares for the 2027 General Election.

Ruto also invoked Deputy President Kithure Kindiki’s past association with Kalonzo, arguing that the former Vice President had benefited from the support of both leaders at different points in his political career.

He cited Kalonzo’s recent remarks that Kindiki had been part of his team when he sought the presidency in 2007, saying the history should count in the current political contest.

“I heard him saying the other day that even my Deputy President, Kithure Kindiki, also supported him when he was seeking the presidency. Kindiki was on his team in 2007. So shouldn’t he return the favour to William Ruto and Kindiki, or what?” the President posed.

The remarks appeared aimed at persuading Kalonzo to reconsider his political calculations ahead of the next election, as opposition leaders position themselves for a contest against Ruto.

Kalonzo, who served as Vice President under former President Mwai Kibaki, has remained among the opposition figures associated with the search for a joint presidential candidate to challenge the incumbent in 2027.

Ruto warns Kalonzo over opposition allies

The President also claimed that Kalonzo’s current opposition allies were preparing to subject him to another political test similar to the one he faced before the 2022 General Election.

Ruto suggested that the Wiper leader risked being subjected to a process that could undermine his presidential ambitions, recalling the scrutiny Kalonzo faced during negotiations among opposition leaders ahead of the last election.

“I told Kalonzo that these people would mistreat you. Didn’t they take him for an interview in 2022? I am telling my brother Stephen that the same people have planned another interview for him. The same people who interviewed him before have another one waiting for him,” Ruto claimed.

The President did not identify the individuals he accused of planning the alleged interview or provide details of when or how it would take place.

His remarks appeared to exploit the uncertainty surrounding opposition efforts to settle on a presidential candidate for the 2027 election, with Kalonzo among the leaders whose ambitions could shape the coalition-building process.

The Wiper leader has previously sought the presidency and served as a running mate in successive opposition campaigns, including the 2013 and 2017 elections.

In 2022, he sought to be considered as the running mate to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga after the latter’s presidential bid under the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition. The selection process generated intense negotiations before Martha Karua was eventually named Odinga’s running mate.