Nyaribari Chache MP Zaheer Jhanda has dismissed former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s criticism of President William Ruto, saying attempts to undermine the current administration are futile.
Jhanda is one of the ardent supporters of President Ruto, a first-term MP who defied the political wave to win his seat in an area that the Azimio La Umoja coalition enjoyed significant support.
In a statement on Sunday on his Facebook, Jhanda said Uhuru and ODM leader Raila Odinga had previously failed to stop Ruto from clinching
the presidency, even with what he termed as the “Deep State.”
“President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM Leader Raila Odinga, even
with the ‘Deep State,’ they couldn’t stop President William Ruto. To think they
can oust an incumbent now, separately or together, is pure fantasy, wild
dreams,” Jhanda stated.
His comments came a day after Kenyatta used the Jubilee
Party National Delegates Conference (NDC) at Ngong Racecourse to take a swipe
at Ruto, accusing him of being intolerant of dissenting voices.
The former Head of State criticised what he described as the
government’s heavy-handed response to the recent Gen Z protests, saying true
leadership requires dialogue, inclusivity, and openness to criticism.
“This requires always having an open mind and a listening
ear, even to those you disagree with—and especially to the voices of our
younger generations,” Kenyatta said.
He argued that leaders must learn from past mistakes to
build a hopeful and peaceful nation, instead of deepening class politics
between the “haves” and “have-nots.”
Kenyatta also lamented what he termed the reversal of
gains made during his administration, pointing to the collapse of programmes
such as Linda Mama, which he said had been replaced by untested
policies.
Uhuru and Ruto were political allies in the 2013 and 2017
elections but fell out ahead of the 2022 polls, with the former president
endorsing Raila Odinga for the top seat.
