Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has launched a stinging attack on President William Ruto, accusing him of abusing state power, mismanaging public funds, and treating government like a personal enterprise.
In a hard-hitting interview aired on K24 TV on Thursday, June 19, 2025, Omtatah painted a bleak picture of Ruto’s leadership, warning that it threatens both Kenya’s democracy and economy.
“William Ruto is completely unhinged. He’s making decisions that defy logic and is running the country from his pocket. The budget doesn’t matter anymore,” Omtatah charged.
The senator also took issue with Ruto’s recent comments in Lugari, where the President declared he would not hand over power to the Opposition after the 2027 general elections. Omtatah called the remarks unconstitutional and dangerous, saying they undermined the democratic process.
According to Omtatah, the power to choose Kenya’s next leader lies solely with the people.
“It is not his decision to determine whom he will hand over power to, that mandate lies with the voters. He must withdraw that statement and issue an apology to the people of Kenya,” Omtatah said.
‘Emulate Uhuru Kenyatta’ – Omtatah Tells Ruto
He warned that Ruto’s rhetoric sets a troubling precedent and urged the Head of State to emulate former President Uhuru Kenyatta, who handed over power peacefully in 2022, despite opposing Ruto’s candidacy.
“Remember, Uhuru told us about Ruto and told us not to vote for him; he warned that he would mess up this country,” Omtatah noted. “But when Ruto was declared winner through the Supreme Court, not the ballot, Uhuru did the honourable thing and handed over power. Ruto must now do the same when the time comes.”
Omtatah didn’t stop there. He questioned the Ruto administration’s repeated claims that it inherited empty coffers, challenging the President to present official financial records to support the assertion.
“The government has a recorded system; if he claims he found empty coffers, where is the balance sheet?” he asked.
“He has never produced one. Instead, look at the lavish lifestyles they got themselves into. Where was that money coming from?”
The senator concluded with a grim warning, stating that Kenya risks sinking into economic collapse and authoritarian rule if the current path continues.
“The President wants to destroy this country, and he must be stopped,” Omtatah warned. “They say in my mother tongue, ‘the serpent’s eggs must not be allowed to hatch.’”
