KIAMBU, Kenya — President William Ruto has launched a sharp attack on former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, branding him a naysayer and accusing him of lacking the moral authority to question the government’s development agenda.
Speaking during a church service in Kiambu on Sunday, December 14, President Ruto defended his administration’s ambitious transformation plans, which he has repeatedly likened to development models in countries such as Singapore, while faulting opposition leaders for talking down his vision.
Without mentioning Kalonzo by name initially, the President accused his critics of having no track record of development despite holding senior government positions for decades.
“There are those saying we can’t achieve all that I have announced. I want to tell them that they are the ones who can’t achieve anything. They have no plan,” Ruto said.
In remarks widely interpreted as a direct jab at the Wiper Party leader, the President questioned Kalonzo’s development credentials, arguing that leaders who failed to deliver progress in their own regions should not lecture others on national transformation.
“It would be unreasonable to wait for someone who never developed his rural road. The road leading to his home is dusty and muddy, and he has been in power for decades. If he can’t develop his rural road, where will he get the smartness to plan development for Kenya?” Ruto posed.
The President said such leaders dismiss his agenda as impossible because, in his view, they had never planned or implemented meaningful development when they had the opportunity.
The remarks come weeks after Ruto launched the Emali–Matiliku Road in Makueni County during a working tour of the Ukambani region, Kalonzo’s political backyard. During that visit, the President urged residents to support his administration, saying the region had long been trapped in opposition politics at the expense of development.
Ruto maintained that his government would pursue inclusive development across all regions, regardless of their political leanings.
“Every part of this country will be included in our agenda. Ukambani is no exception,” he said.
Kalonzo Musyoka, 71, has served in government for decades, including as Mwingi South MP for 25 years between 1985 and 2013. He also held several Cabinet positions under past administrations, serving as Foreign Affairs minister between 1993 and 1998, Education minister from 1998 to 2001, and later as Minister for Tourism and Information.
He was Vice President from 2008 to 2013 under the Grand Coalition Government following the disputed 2007 election.
Currently, the Wiper leader is positioning himself as a key figure in the opposition and has expressed interest in contesting the presidency, aiming to become Kenya’s sixth president.
The latest exchange underscores growing political tensions as the country edges closer to the 2027 General Election, with development, legacy and leadership credentials emerging as central battlegrounds.
