Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has rejected being drawn into the 2027 political contest as a sponsor, saying Kenyans should be left to choose their preferred leaders without being forced to take sides.
Speaking in Trans-Nzoia during the memorial service for the late former Vice-President Kijana Wamalwa on Sunday, Kenyatta said he had no interest in seeking any political seat and cautioned against interpreting his calls for democratic freedoms as an attempt to re-enter active politics.
He said his role was to defend the democratic rights that leaders such as Wamalwa and others had fought to establish, rather than campaign for a particular candidate.
“I am here today to stand for that right. No one can take away that right, which was fought for with sweat and blood,” he said.
Kenyatta said Kenyans should be free to support whoever they want, naming several politicians who are expected to feature prominently in the 2027 political contest.
“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.
“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,” Kenyatta added.
He urged political leaders to seek votes peacefully and warned against attempts to prevent rival groups from holding political meetings.
“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 also recalled his own political journey, saying voters had previously rejected him before later giving him an opportunity to lead.
“If you want votes, ask for them. Ask with humility. The people will give them to you or deny you. Even me I asked and was denied. I went back again, asked, and I was given,” he said.
The former president insisted that his time in elective leadership was over and that the decision on who should lead Kenya now belonged to voters.
“I have no interest in any seat,” he said. “That opportunity now belongs to others, and Kenyans themselves will decide who will take it.”
Kenyatta further urged political leaders to unite and respect one another, while warning Kenyans against allowing themselves to be divided.
His remarks come amid heightened political tensions following violence at a Linda Mwananchi rally in Homa Bay on 16 August that led to the death of two people, including a police officer and dozens injured during the clashes.
The violence has since triggered investigations and renewed calls for political leaders to respect democratic freedoms and ensure campaigns do not descend into violence.