NAIROBI, Kenya- KANU chairman Gideon Moi has accused President William Ruto of failing to honour an agreement linked to his withdrawal from the 2025 Baringo Senate by-election, describing the deal as political “conmanship” and saying he had waited in vain for its terms to be fulfilled.
Speaking to Kalenjin elders and political leaders at his Kabarak home in Nakuru County on Friday, October 23, Moi said the agreement was meant to secure development projects for Baringo residents.
He said he had not sought personal benefits.
“In everything, I didn’t ask for a personal thing,” Moi said, according to a report by Citizen Digital. “I asked for specific things for the people of Baringo that I had not accomplished.”
The remarks were his most detailed public account of the deal and the breakdown in relations with Ruto.
Moi said the first delay followed the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga on October 15, 2025.
He said Ruto had asked him to give the matter more time, but that he continued waiting for a resolution.
“Raila’s death came up… he told me, ‘Wait for some time; we finish this matter.’ I waited and waited until now,” Moi said.
Moi withdrew from Senate race
The political understanding followed a State House meeting between the two leaders on October 9, 2025, and Ruto’s visit to Moi’s Kabarak home the next day.
Moi was preparing to contest the Baringo Senate seat, which had fallen vacant after the death of Senator William Cheptumo.
Moi later withdrew from the race.
KANU did not field a candidate, leaving United Democratic Alliance candidate Vincent Kiprono Chemitei to win the November 27 by-election.
Ruto had publicly said he asked Moi to withdraw and described the move as part of efforts to unite and allow younger leaders to take up political responsibilities.
Moi’s account now places the decision in the context of promises he says were made during their discussions.
The specific terms of the private agreement have not been made public in a comprehensive signed document.
Reports on the discussions have linked them to development priorities such as roads, dams, a stadium and a university in Baringo.
Moi said the commitments concerned projects he had been unable to complete during his time as the county’s senator.
He also apologised to members of his community for trusting the arrangement and stepping aside from the election.
He asked Kalenjin elders to forgive him, saying he had acted in good faith.
Dispute widens beyond development promises
Moi also pushed back against accusations that he was using the Standard Group, in which members of his family hold shares, to attack Ruto’s administration.
The president has previously accused him of sponsoring opposition activity and criticised headlines published by the media group.
Moi dismissed the claims as a distraction from what he said was the outstanding agreement.
He questioned why he would be blamed for the newspaper’s coverage, saying the Moi family was not responsible for writing its headlines.
The KANU chairman’s remarks also came amid reports of attacks on him and his family by members of the ruling party.
In recent coverage, he cited what he described as insults, the abduction of a senior Standard Group staff member and the occupation of family property by security officers as part of the grievances that had strained relations.
The fallout has raised questions about KANU’s relationship with UDA and the political alignment of the two parties ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Moi’s withdrawal from the Baringo race had removed a potential contest between the parties in a county where both seek influence.
The public disagreement leaves the future of the political understanding uncertain, while Moi’s speech marks a clear break from the rapprochement the two leaders presented in October 2025.
