Opposition leaders accuse President Ruto of mismanaging key sectors

The leaders accuse the government of wasteful expenditure, runaway corruption, and poor leadership, saying that the President has undone the progress achieved by previous regimes and left the country without a clear policy direction.

Speaking separately at various events across the country, the opposition figures — drawn from the DCP, Jubilee, and Wiper parties — said the government’s actions have worsened living conditions for ordinary Kenyans, who continue to grapple with rising costs of living.

“William Ruto, ama Githinji kama unavyojulikana, unasema sisi hatuna akili, unatudharau. Ndani ya miaka mitatu pekee, elimu umeharibu, matibabu umeharibu, watoto unasema wapigwe risasi mguuni,” said Rigathi Gachagua, the DCP Party Leader, while addressing congregants at PCEA Kayole Parish in Nairobi.

“Unawaambia Wakenya unaweza kufanya Kenya kuwa nchi ya kwanza duniani vipi?” he posed.

The United Opposition, a political alliance positioning itself to challenge President Ruto in the 2027 general election, appears to be intensifying grassroots mobilization across the country through a series of coordinated engagements.

Former Interior Cabinet Secretary and Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Fred Matiang’i accused the government of extravagance and misplaced priorities, saying it operates as though Kenya were a developed nation.

“We have an opulent and wasteful government — big offices, big titles. We behave as if we are a developed country,” Matiang’i said at Life Church International Limuru. “This is not rocket science — which country in the world does such things?”

The leaders further condemned what they termed as the excessive use of force by security agencies against citizens and the persecution of government critics, warning that the trend mirrors patterns seen in authoritarian regimes across Africa.

“African leaders must stop treating protesters like criminals. In the case of Kenya, they should not be charged with the offense of treason,”

remarked Kalonzo Musyoka, Wiper Party Leader, during a speech at Lukenya University in Makueni County.

Kalonzo also hailed the growing wave of Gen Z–led protests across Africa, describing them as a “powerful testament to a new generation demanding accountability and transparency.”

“These movements reflect a renewed demand for governance against corruption, impunity, electoral fraud, and the rising cost of living,” he said.

The opposition leaders accused President Ruto of surrounding himself with political loyalists and rewarding allies with unnecessary advisory roles at the expense of national development.

“This is not the time to have a truckload of advisors — every political stillborn being made into something,”Matiang’i added.