Ruto: I am not scared, I trust the judgement of Kenyans

Speaking to the Daily Nation newspaper on Friday, August 21, Ruto said he was “not scared” of his competitors and expressed confidence in the judgement of the Kenyan people.

“I am not scared at all. I mean, those people, I trust the judgement of the people of Kenya that they can be able to see where a plan is and where an agenda is. It is not possible for you to engage in name-calling, you know, sloganeering, insults, and expect the people of Kenya to vote for you on account of that,” Ruto said.

The President challenged his opponents to offer Kenyans concrete policy alternatives instead of relying on name-calling, slogans, and insults.

Ruto criticized political calls to abolish or halt some of his administration's flagship programmes, including the Social Health Authority (SHA), the affordable housing programme and the university funding model.

The President defended his administration's economic agenda, arguing that programmes associated with his 2022 campaign, including the Hustler Fund and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, were not merely political slogans but policy plans.

“Hustler was not a slogan. It wasn't an insult. Hustler was a fund,” Ruto said, claiming that the fund has disbursed approximately Ksh.90 billion of shillings to 27 million Kenyans.

He maintained that his administration's “Bottom-Up” approach was intended to direct government support towards small businesses and ordinary Kenyans, including traders and boda boda operators.

Ruto also defended SHA, education funding and the affordable housing programme as part of what he described as a broader effort to improve access to essential services and economic opportunities.

The President further took aim at his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, accusing him of choosing opposition politics instead of taking on what Ruto described as a unifying statesman role.

Ruto said he had previously approached Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in an attempt to persuade them to help develop a broader vision for the country.

According to Ruto, however, Kenyatta ultimately chose to remain involved in opposition politics.

“But he was reluctant, you know, and he said he wasn't sure he wanted to do that. Well, those are choices that people make. So, of course, he chose to be, to do what he's doing, organizing the opposition and sponsoring them.” he claimed.

The President also questioned the policy positions of opposition figures, accusing them of opposing government programmes without presenting clear alternatives.

Ruto's remarks come as political competition begins to intensify ahead of the 2027 General Election, with government programmes and the country's economic direction emerging as key areas of political contestation.

Ruto challenged his opponents to move beyond political chants and criticism and present Kenyans with detailed plans for governing the country.

“My competitors have to think beyond insults, slogans and chants. They have to think beyond that,” Ruto said.