Kenya’s opposition leaders have rejected President William Ruto’s recent apology to the youth during the National Prayer Breakfast, terming it insincere and dismissive of the pain inflicted during the June 2024 Gen Z-led protests.
Speaking at Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka’s Seikuru residence in Kitui County, a host of opposition figures lambasted Ruto’s remarks, claiming the president failed to take responsibility for the deaths and injuries sustained during the demonstrations—many of which were attributed to the use of excessive police force.
Former Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa was among those who condemned the apology, declaring, “People died, youth were brutalised. Mr. Ruto, your apology was conditional and unacceptable. Gen Zs of Kenya have rejected it.”
Echoing the sentiment, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi criticised the phrasing of the president’s remarks: “If Ruto says ‘if we wronged you’—is that even an apology? William Ruto should take that apology back to Sugoi.”
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary-General Cleophas Malala added that true repentance requires more than words: “Apology is simply saying sorry, but repentance demands naming the wrongs one seeks forgiveness for.”
The leaders also seized the opportunity to highlight what they termed as the Kenya Kwanza administration’s diminishing popularity and growing public discontent. Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, speaking separately, claimed that the opposition had a clear roadmap to oust Ruto from office in 2027.
“For Kenya to move forward, Ruto must go. That’s our main agenda,” Gachagua declared. “He keeps saying we have no plan—our plan is to remove him first.”
Kalonzo Musyoka further accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of undermining constitutional values, warning that some of its actions were impeachable. “I remind the president to uphold the Constitution. What he and his government are doing is unconstitutional and punishable.”
The opposition now claims to have the numbers and strategy needed to challenge Ruto’s leadership at the next polls. Gachagua added, “Where you see me, you see victory. I am not just a politician—I am a political scientist. I know how to calculate the game.”
As political tensions simmer, Ruto’s attempt to mend fences with Kenya’s youth may have only deepened opposition resolve, setting the stage for a high-stakes 2027 election.
