Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has challenged President William Ruto to stop blaming his administration for the country’s current problems and instead take responsibility for the challenges facing Kenyans.
Uhuru said those in government must be willing to admit when policies or decisions fail and work on correcting them, rather than repeatedly pointing fingers at previous administrations.
“If something does not work, you have to accept that it did not work and try again,” he said. “You cannot keep making excuses by blaming this person, that person or another person. Sometimes you have to accept responsibility and move on.”
The former president spoke on Tuesday after formally handing over the leadership of the Jubilee Party to his deputy, Fred Matiang’i, ahead of the party’s National Delegates Convention.
The transition followed a High Court ruling that clarified the political role of retired presidents and paved the way for Uhuru to relinquish his formal position within Jubilee.
On September 14, Justice Lawrence Mugambi upheld Section 6 of the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act, which bars retired presidents from holding leadership positions in political parties more than six months after leaving office.
The ruling, however, allows former presidents to remain members of political parties and take part in political activities.
Uhuru had said the decision provided the legal clarity required to complete the delayed Jubilee leadership transition, and pledged to oversee the handover in line with the party constitution.
As he handed over the party leadership, Uhuru said he would remain a senior member of Jubilee and continue providing advice as Matiang’i takes charge.
He also defended his record as president, citing the difficulties his administration faced during its time in office, including the Covid-19 pandemic and political tensions.
“We have gone through many challenges, including COVID-19 and many other difficult things,” he said, adding that despite conflicts and crises outside Kenya, his administration had managed to bring people together.
Uhuru also defended his 2018 political agreement with former opposition leader Raila Odinga, commonly known as the handshake, saying it helped reduce political tensions and promote national unity.
“We had the handshake, and we became friends. There was no war, no fighting and no violence because our goal was one — the unity and progress of our country,” he said.
The former president said political leaders should recognise that mistakes are part of leadership but must be willing to admit them, correct them and move forward.
“We are all human beings. Only God is perfect. All human beings make mistakes. When we make mistakes, we should accept them, correct them and move forward,” he said.
Uhuru also urged Jubilee members to prepare the party for its next phase, including identifying candidates and building working relationships with other political groups.
“We should organise ourselves and decide where we are going,” he said.
He further called for peaceful political competition, urging Jubilee members to cooperate with other groups while avoiding conflict as the party begins its next chapter under Matiang’i.