The newspapers of Thursday, March 19, reported on the political situation in the country as the 2027 General Election approaches.
Source: UGC
One of the newspapers highlighted the defense of the President William Ruto against critics who claim that he has lost his composure and unpresidential behavior following his outbursts against opposition leaders.
1. Daily Nation
The newspaper reported on the head of state rebuking critics who question his character as a leader following his harsh attacks on opposition leaders.
Ruto continued to criticize the opposition yesterday, declaring that he would face his opponents head-on, even if it meant being dragged through the mud.
He defended the insults directed at the opposition, saying he was only responding to what his competitors had started.
On Tuesday, he claimed he had just given them a taste of their own medicine while also offering advice on healthy eating.
“I told them that if their agenda is William Ruto, then I am ready to deal with them. They said I am thin, so I told them to look in the mirror,” the president told a crowd in Funyula, Busia County.
“I advised these people to reduce the amount of food they eat. How could I get here at 8:30 in the morning if I was overweight? The bloated ones are still sleeping.”
Ruto added that he would manage the diet of opposition leaders if they were close to him.
“I tried to help these people but they responded angrily, saying they eat bananas in their homes and not in my homes. If they were in my homes, I would control their food intake and insist that they exercise,” he said.
On the third day of his visit to the West, Ruto promised to improve living standards in the region and urged residents to support him in the upcoming elections.
While launching projects in Busia, Bungoma, and Kakamega, he accused former leaders of isolating the region through mismanagement and tribal politics.
He is scheduled to visit Nyanza from tomorrow until the end of the month.
Ruto said some leaders are interested in continuing to divide the country.
“They have nothing else to offer Kenyans except insults and divisive politics. We are only interested in peace and unity and we will not allow them to cause violence. No part of Kenya should be left behind in development. Busia was isolated for many years but that is history,” he said.
The President added that he is ready to cooperate with leaders who aim for development. In Matayos, he initiated the construction of a 10,000-seat stadium worth KSh 900 million, which is expected to be completed in December.
He also inspected the Nangina Affordable Housing Project in Funyula and launched the construction of Matayos-Nangina and Nangina-Sio Port-Mumbaka roads with a length of 15 kilometers, which will cost KSh 773 million.
He further announced plans for a special economic zone that will generate thousands of jobs for the youth.
He said, the government has allocated KSh 1.4 billion to connect 15,000 households in Busia with electricity, build 15 markets worth KSh 2.5 billion, and build hostels to house 6,000 students.
“Our youth are not machines to be mobilized during elections and then forgotten. They are the pillar of our social and economic stability and their future determines the direction of the nation,” he said.
“That is why we invest in education, skills development and small and medium enterprises to expand opportunities, create jobs and unlock their full potential. Their power should not be used for narrow political goals.”
The President announced that he will be in Kisumu on Saturday to inaugurate the construction of the Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba regular railway, an event that will also be attended by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
He encouraged the youth to be excited about the opportunities that will arise from the railway project, such as plumbing, welding, transportation, masonry, and electrical works.
Ruto was joined by Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula, Minister of Cooperatives and Small Business Wycliffe OparanyaBusia Governor Paul Otuoma, and several members of parliament, who urged the region to support him in the 2027 election.
2. Nation Today
The newspaper reported on the continuation of the conflict for the position of deputy president between the ODM and UDA groups.
Just a few days after Ruto and the ODM leader Oburu Odinga to call for an end to the political hostility between leaders in the coastal area, the secretary general of the ruling party, Hassan Omar, has come forward and accused the Minister of Minerals, Hassan Joho, of spreading politics to grab the deputy president’s seat.
Omar warned ODM members against continuing with politics to influence the removal of the Deputy President Kithur Kindiki in the general election of 2027 and followed by Joho.
“You cannot deceive the people forever, that a native of the coast should be the deputy president. They know they have not worked, they know their politics are emotional and they do not want people to talk about their leadership because they failed. Sometimes they were fighting with retired president Uhuru Kenyatta and they were defeated and passed during the general election. But we will not be deceived again,” said Omar.
He warned coastal people against spreading divisive and selfish politics about the vice president.
“I am in the race, I am with Professor Kindiki and Joho but should I choose Joho as deputy president in 2027 because he is a fellow Muslim, I don’t know if we came from Kibokoni together?” he said.
Omar said that the UDA would field candidates in all political seats, stressing that the party is still committed to political competition.
3. The Standard
The reporter of the newspaper reported the alleged fraud in the office of the president.
Seven people accused of defrauding a Swedish businessman of more than KSh 60 million in a fake ambulance distribution scheme carried out inside the building that houses the offices of President William Ruto have been formally charged.
Michael Musyoki Ngumbi, Evans Simotwo, Geoffrey Were Odondi, Allan Mutahi Kariuki, Purity Njeri Njamiu, Muniaro Jared Masinde, Kororia Simatwa, and Rose Mbuthia all pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy to defraud, obtaining money by deception, obtaining proceeds of crime, and forgery.
An affidavit from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) claims the plan took place during meetings at Harambee Hall, which houses the Office of the President and the Ministry of Interior.
Court filings state that the suspects convinced Talal Yousef Yousef Zaitoun that they could get him a government contract to supply 500 Toyota Hiace ambulances. He was allegedly defrauded of $470,750 (about KSh 60.9 million) after being tricked into believing that the scheme had official backing.
DCI told the court that the Swedish investor even signed a fake contract worth millions of shillings. Prosecutors said the offenses occurred between January 10 and February 25.
Odondi is accused of receiving the money through Lianyungang Chanta International Wood Company Ltd and is facing an additional charge of obtaining proceeds of crime after allegedly distributing the money through an Equity Bank account registered under Damira Multiactivities.
Ngumbi faces two additional charges of forgery, with prosecutors alleging that he falsified government documents on January 29 and 30, including the notice of award and the contract agreement for the supply of ambulances in the financial years 2025/2026 and 2026/2027.
Court records show the suspects were arrested on March 10 at Harambee Hall, where investigators believe some of the racketeering meetings took place. Investigators said the case involved a complex financial investigation, including tracing transactions at multiple banks and identifying other suspects who have yet to be arrested.
Investigators added that the complainant first contacted a person posing as a Ugandan citizen using a Ugandan phone number, who later linked him to the accused.
Prosecutors asked Senior Magistrate Teresia Nyangena to impose strict bail conditions, citing the seriousness of the charges.
However, the defense asked for lenient terms, promising to follow the court’s terms.
In his ruling, Magistrate Nyangena granted each suspect cash bail of KSh 300,000 and three persons to contact them, or alternative bail of Sh5 million. He also ordered them to surrender their passports.
The case is scheduled to be mentioned on April 1 for pre-trial instructions as the prosecution prepares to present its evidence.
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