Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday, August 23 launched a veiled attack at his successor, President William Ruto, insisting that he will not be cowed not to speak his mind on issues affecting Kenyans.

Speaking during the commemoration of the 8th Vice President Michael Kijana Wamalwa in Milimani, Kitale, Uhuru maintained that Kenya was a democratic country that everyone is entitled to have an opinion on matters politics, and that nobody should attack him for speaking up his mind.

Uhuru’s sentiments come in the wake of sustained political attacks by President Ruto and his allies against him ahead of the 2027 General Election. Acording to President Ruto’s camp, Uhuru is sponsoring opposition politicians seeking to unseat him, yet he is supposed to have retired from politics the moment his term at the helm of the country ended in 2022.

 “We are a democratic society and those democratic ideals were fought for hard by the man we are honouring today,” Uhuru said.

He further added that any attempts to gag his political rights and freedom as a Kenyan would only take the country backwards.

“Freedom for Kenyans is to be able to elect the leaders they want. I’m here to defend that freedom. Nobody can take away that freedom that was fought for with blood and sweat by our leaders,” he said.

Uhuru also called on political leaders to protect democratic freedoms, respect political diversity, and allow citizens to freely determine their political leadership, warning that attempts to suppress political competition risk reversing the democratic gains for which generations of Kenyans sacrificed.

Wamalwa Kijana’s legacy

The commemoration, held at the late Wamalwa’s family home in Kitale, also provided an opportunity to celebrate the life and enduring legacy of the former Vice President through the launch of a book documenting his remarkable public life and contribution to Kenya.

Uhuru, who wrote the foreword to the book My Country First, described Michael Kijana Wamalwa as “one of the better angels of our nature”, recalling him as a statesman who never regarded political opponents as enemies, but as competitors.

Kenyatta described Wamalwa as “the gentleman of Kenya’s politics”, saying he epitomized integrity, sobriety, maturity, and decency in Kenya’s political life, an attribute that was echoed by various speakers at the ceremony.

The event brought together leaders from various political divides, among them former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Dr. Fred Matiang’i, Justin Muturi, Charity Ngilu, and Martha Karua.