NAIROBI, Kenya — Constitutional lawyer Willis Evans Otieno has advised President William Ruto not to seek re-election in the 2027 General Election, arguing that remaining in the race could damage his political legacy.
In a statement shared on his X account, Otieno said that if he were advising the President politically, he would urge him to step aside rather than pursue a second term.
“If I were William Ruto’s political adviser, I would tell him something no one in his inner circle has the courage to say: Don’t run in 2027,” Otieno wrote.
The lawyer argued that politics rewards leaders who can accurately read public sentiment and warned against relying on advisers who may paint an overly optimistic picture.
According to Otieno, leaders risk confusing the influence and visibility that come with holding office with genuine public support.
“Do not mistake the privileges of office for popularity. A convoy is not love. A State House reception is not public approval. A crowd assembled by power is not the same as a nation willing to vote for you,” he said.
Otieno further cautioned that political advisers who depend on those in power for their livelihoods may be reluctant to offer honest assessments.
“The greatest danger facing you is not the opposition; it is the illusion created by those who survive by telling you what you want to hear,” he wrote.
Reflecting on political leadership, he argued that successful leaders know when to heed changing public opinion.
“Every ruler eventually reaches the point where the mirror tells one story and the people tell another. Wise leaders believe the people. Proud leaders believe the mirror,” Otieno stated.
The constitutional lawyer also noted that President Ruto has spent decades building his political career and urged him to consider preserving his legacy.
“You have spent more than thirty years climbing to the summit of Kenyan politics. Don’t spend your final chapter proving that the hardest fall is the one from the highest mountain,” he wrote.
Concluding his remarks, Otieno said there comes a point when staying in the political race no longer appears courageous but instead signals an inability to recognize changing political realities.
“Leave while retirement is still a choice. If you insist on staying, don’t be surprised when the ballot box becomes the harshest political adviser you have ever ignored,” he said.