Uhuru Warns Mt Kenya Voters Against Repeating 2022 Choice

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta speaks during the funeral service of the late Mwalimu Jackson Karua at Mugumo Primary School in Gichugu, Kirinyaga County on October 3, 2026. Photo/Courtesy

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has urged voters in the Mt Kenya region to think carefully about their political choices ahead of the 2027 General Election, saying they should not repeat what he described as a mistake made in 2022.

Speaking during the burial of Mwalimu Jackson Karua, the father of People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua, at Mugumo Primary School in Gichugu, Kirinyaga County, Uhuru reflected on the previous election and his unsuccessful attempt to persuade the region to support the ticket of Raila Odinga and Martha Karua.

Uhuru said he had warned voters before the 2022 election but they chose to take a different path.

He used a simple message to drive his point home: making a mistake once is different from making the same choice again.

The former president’s remarks were widely understood as a warning against supporting President William Ruto for another term, although he did not repeatedly mention the President by name during the address.

The former president also addressed the criticism he has received from President Ruto and his political allies.

Uhuru said he was not bothered by being given various labels and insisted that he was not seeking another political position.

He said he was grateful for the opportunity he had to serve as Kenya’s president for ten years and was comfortable with his current position.

According to Uhuru, political attacks directed at him were unnecessary because he was not competing for an elective position.

His comments came amid an increasingly open political exchange between the retired president and the Ruto administration as political activity ahead of 2027 gathers momentum.

Uhuru’s remarks were particularly significant because of his influence among voters in the Mt Kenya region, where political alliances have shifted considerably since the 2022 election.

He recalled that he had supported a Raila Odinga-Martha Karua ticket in 2022, but many voters in the region ultimately backed Ruto, who went on to win the presidency.

The former president now wants the region to reconsider its political direction ahead of the next election.

His remarks came at a funeral that brought together several prominent opposition figures, including Martha Karua, Kalonzo Musyoka, Fred Matiang’i, Edwin Sifuna, Justin Muturi and Eugene Wamalwa.

The funeral also became an opportunity for opposition leaders to speak about the 2027 contest.

Some of the leaders present called for greater unity and suggested that the opposition should work towards presenting a single presidential candidate.

Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina also called on opposition leaders to take the issue of unity seriously.

Uhuru briefly invited her back to the podium, reinforcing the importance he appeared to place on the message.

With the next General Election approaching, Uhuru’s latest comments add to the growing political debate over alliances and voting patterns in Mt Kenya and across the country.

The former president did not announce a specific candidate he wants voters to support in his remarks. Instead, he focused on his view that voters should learn from their previous political decisions.

The 2027 election is still ahead, and political alliances are continuing to develop as parties and leaders position themselves for the contest.

For now, Uhuru’s message to his former political base is clear: he believes voters should carefully consider the consequences of their choices and avoid repeating what he considers a past mistake.