Speculation as Gideon Moi meets President Ruto at State House

The meeting, reportedly held on Wednesday, was publicised on Thursday evening

by EMMANUEL WANJALA

News09 October 2025 - 21:59

In Summary

Images from the State House meeting showed Moi and a Kanu delegation alongside President Ruto, with both leaders seen engaging in a cordial exchange — a development that drew attention given Moi’s earlier criticism of the President.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, a close ally of President Ruto, added to the conversation after posting a video of the meeting on social media with the caption, “Politics 101.”

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Moi

President William chairs a meeting with Kanu officials led by national chairman Gideon Moi at State House on October 8, 2025. /PCS

Speculation is growing within political circles following the circulation of photos and videos showing former Baringo Senator and Kanu national chairman Gideon Moi at State House, Nairobi, in a meeting with President William Ruto.

The meeting, reportedly held on Wednesday and made public on Thursday evening, has sparked discussion over whether political matters were on the agenda, as Moi considers a possible return to active politics through the November 27 Baringo senatorial by-election.

Moi’s potential re-entry into politics has reignited debate over his future and that of Kanu, with observers interpreting the move as a possible attempt to rebuild his influence after losing the 2022 General Election to the late William Cheptumo.

Images from the State House meeting showed Moi and a Kanu delegation alongside President Ruto, with both leaders seen engaging in a cordial exchange — a development that drew attention given Moi’s earlier criticism of the President.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, a close ally of President Ruto, added to the conversation after posting a video of the meeting on social media with the caption, “Politics 101.”

Within Kanu, there have been growing calls for Moi to reposition the party in relation to the current administration.

Kanu’s Kiambu county secretary, John Karanja, has publicly urged the chairman to convene a delegates’ conference to determine the party’s direction.

“I am asking my national chairman to call a delegate conference so that we can leave the Azimio coalition and start helping the current government in its re-election bid,” Karanja told the Star in a telephone interview on September 26.

Moi, who served as Baringo Senator from 2013 to 2022, lost the seat to Cheptumo of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in the 2022 elections.

Cheptumo garnered 141,177 votes (65.35 per cent) against Moi’s 71,480 (33.11 per cent), ending the Kanu leader’s decade-long tenure. Since the defeat, Moi has maintained a low public profile.

The political dynamics shifted in February after the seat fell vacant following Cheptumo’s death after a long illness.

The State House visit came a day before Moi was expected to present his nomination papers to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in Baringo.

The UDA has since fronted Kiprono Cheburet as its candidate, after he clinched the party ticket with 48,791 votes, defeating eight other aspirants.

A victory in the upcoming poll would mark a significant political comeback for Moi and offer Kanu a renewed lease of life.

For UDA, retaining the seat would reaffirm its dominance in the Rift Valley and strengthen its grassroots base.

The political stakes have led to speculation that the State House meeting may have involved quiet discussions about the by-election, possibly including appeals for Moi to reconsider his bid.

However, in the absence of official communication from either side, the details of the meeting remain unclear.