'Fools, brainless...': President Ruto's politics of insults, and the art of doublespeak

They are fools... they are brainless... not my words, but those of President William Ruto at various stops during his campaign tour of Ukambani region.

In what is becoming a constant in his campaign speeches, President Ruto has been berating his opponents, questioning their intellectual capacities and declaring outright that they lacked brains.

The President's language has been in sharp contrast to his calls against what he terms ‘politics of insults.’

“Mtu ambaye mpango hana. Sera hana ajenda hana. Akili hana. Huyo ni mtu wa kuchagua?” President Ruto said, seemingly taking the low road in his description of his opponents whom he repeatedly called brainless or foolish.

His 4-day tour of the region started in Makueni County on Wednesday and nearly every stop has seen the President directing what can be seen as insulting remarks at the opposition.

“Aaah wacheni bwana, tusiharibu nchi yetu na watu bure. Hii Ukambani imechelewa miaka mingi kwa upinzani. Mimi sitakubali Ukambani iendelee kukaa kwa upinzani,” he said at another stop.

On Thursday, President Ruto took his campaign to the neighboring Kitui County, where he welcomed the crowds to complete his tirade.

“Mpango hawana. Sera hawana. Hata akili…alaa kwani mnawajua? Salaale,” he said.

But in a rare spectacle in Wote town, Makueni Woman Representative Suzanne Kiamba grabbed a sunroof opportunity to push back against President Ruto's language telling the President to respect other leaders.

“As a social safeguard specialist. Hakuna mtu ameumbwa na sura ya Mungu atakuwa bure kabisa. Hata bubu ako na kitu iko ndani yake. Hii maneno ya kusema sisi watu wa opposition ni bure kabisa sipendi,” said Kiamba.

The pushback by the Woman Representative apparently made no difference as President Ruto resumed his place in the foul language trenches.

“Wale watu wapumbavu wa mambo ya shares, wa kusema nchi ya Kenya inaendeshwa kwa mapendeleo ama ubaguzi hiyo ni siasa duni ya watu wajinga…wanaona Wakenya ni wajinga sana. Wakikuja hapa watakuja na maneno tatu. Wantam., Kasongo must go. Hiyo ni ujinga si ujinga?” He posed.

Fools, brainless, mad and related epithets have been part of President Ruto's arrows in the quiver against his opponents for some time now.

Back in February, he referred to his critics as fools when he drummed up support for the controversial nationwide livestock vaccination.

“Kuna watu wengine wajinga wanasema tusichanje ng’ombe zetu ndiyo tusipate soko. Si hiyo ni upumbavu,” he said on February 6, 2025.

Ironically, President Ruto has been punctuating this contestable language with calls for an end to politics of insults.

Speaking on May 23, 2025, he said: “Let us ignore the naysayers, those who have nothing to offer to us except insults, name-calling and ethnicity.”