Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has rejected claims that he is seeking to re-enter active politics or influence the 2027 contest, insisting that he has “no interest in any seat”.
Speaking during a memorial service for former Vice-President Kijana Wamalwa in Trans-Nzoia on Sunday, Kenyatta said his recent interventions on democratic rights should not be interpreted as an attempt to back political proxies or pursue an elective position ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“And people should not say that what I am saying means I am getting involved in politics. I have no interest in any seat. Do we understand each other?” he said.
Kenyatta also appeared to address suggestions that he was positioning himself as a power broker in the emerging 2027 contest.
“Please, please, be careful—I do not want to be called a sponsor. I do not want all these things. The choice belongs to Kenyans,” he said.
His remarks come as political alignments ahead of the 2027 election intensify, with President William Ruto and other government leaders accusing the former president of backing opposition figures.
Ruto recently referred to Kenyatta as a sponsor of opposition leaders, including Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.
Kenyatta, however, said Kenyans should be allowed to choose their preferred leaders without being pressured to support a particular political camp.
“If they say they want Kalonzo, it is Kalonzo. If they say they want Ruto, it is Ruto. If they say they want Matiang’i, it is Matiang’i. If they say they want Sifuna, it is Sifuna,” he said.
He said his time in leadership was over and that the decision on who succeeds President Ruto belonged to voters.
“I thank God for the time He gave me in leadership, and I thank Kenyans for giving me that opportunity. That opportunity now belongs to others, and Kenyans themselves will decide who will take it,” he said.
Kenyatta urged politicians seeking elective office to approach voters peacefully and with humility.
“If you want votes, ask for them. Ask with humility. The people will give them to you or deny you,” he said, recalling that he had himself been rejected by voters before returning to seek their support.
He also warned against attempts to prevent rival political groups from holding meetings, saying such actions threatened Kenya's democratic progress.
“These attempts to prevent others from holding meetings and doing what they want are taking Kenya backwards, yet we want to move forward,” he said.
Kenyatta’s call for peaceful politics comes amid growing concerns over political violence, following clashes at a Linda Mwananchi rally in Homa Bay on 16 August that left two people, including a police officer, dead and dozens of others injured.