Priest’s Critique Exposes Growing Political Fault Lines in Ruto Administration

By Kimagata Marindany

BOMET - A Catholic priest in Bomet has delivered a sharp and politically charged critique of President William Ruto’s recent State of the Nation address, reflecting a widening disconnect between the administration and segments of its grassroots support base.

Fr. Ambrose Kimutai of Ndarawetta Parish dismissed the President’s nationally televised speech as “self-praise” that ignored the lived realities of the voters who propelled him into office.

While MPs offered a standing ovation in Parliament, Fr. Kimutai argued that the address failed to speak to the concerns of ordinary Kenyans, particularly those who embraced the President’s 2022 “hustler” narrative.

The priest’s comments speak to a larger political undercurrent: the perception that the Kenya Kwanza government has drifted from its populist foundation and is increasingly courting elite political interests ahead of the 2027 polls.

According to Fr. Kimutai, the President has “mutated from a hustler to a dynasty”, abandoning the very constituency that anchored his rise to power.

He accused the Head of State of shifting his political alliances toward established power brokers while sidelining citizens “at the bottom of the pyramid.”

His remarks highlight a growing unease among former Kenya Kwanza loyalists who fear that the administration’s political recalibration may weaken its re-election prospects.

Analysts note that such criticism — especially from influential clergy in regions that strongly supported the President — could signal deeper frustrations bubbling beneath the surface.

Fr. Kimutai further faulted President Ruto for what he termed a retreat from key campaign pledges, pointing to unresolved issues affecting small-scale farmers.

He expressed disappointment over the government’s silence on poor tea prices and the failure to “crack the whip on cartels” allegedly exploiting farmers, a promise the President had repeatedly emphasized on the campaign trail.

As the 2027 election cycle quietly gathers momentum, the priest’s remarks add to the chorus of voices questioning whether the administration can maintain its hustler-centric political identity while navigating the demands of governance and shifting alliances.

For a government that rode to power on a message of economic inclusion, such critiques serve as a reminder of the political risks of drifting too far from its grassroots base.

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