President William Ruto has taken a swipe at his competitors in the forthcoming General Election, saying Kenya is a complex country that requires an intelligent person to run.
Speaking on Thursday during the National Industrial Training Authority graduation ceremony at State House in Nairobi, Ruto said many presidential hopefuls were seeking the top seat without fully understanding what it takes to run the country.
“We are a very serious country, and I see many people running around. Kenya is a modern, very complex and sophisticated country. No fool can run this country,” he said.
“It requires someone with intelligence. That’s how you take the country forward,” he added.
Ruto has frequently used sharp rhetoric against his political competitors, accusing them of lacking plans, vision and alternative solutions to the country’s problems.
He has described his administration’s approach as strategic and focused on delivery, while portraying the opposition using terms such as “rudderless”, “planless” and “empty”, arguing that they have failed to offer alternative policy blueprints on issues.
At a rally in Kajiado on September 3, Ruto challenged opposition leaders to present their agendas, policies, plans and visions instead of relying on political attacks.
“Mimi nawaambia wale viongozi wengine kila mtu wacha kuja kutupea ufala… Usituletee kelele, sisi ni watu tuko na akili,” he said.
The remarks loosely translate to: “I am telling those other leaders, everyone should stop bringing us foolishness. Do not bring us noise; we are people who have brains.”
During Thursday’s graduation, Ruto defended his frequent participation in international meetings, including African Union and United Nations engagements, after critics questioned his focus on domestic issues.
“That is how you profile a nation. That is how you raise the profile of a country. Today I can say without any fear of contradiction that Kenya has a bigger profile and a lot of respect across the world because they know that we are a serious nation,” he said.
He then turned his message to the graduates, urging them to apply the same confidence and judgement when seeking employment and negotiating for their skills.
“Msipige your skill na bei ya chini ati mtu amekwambia kuja fix hapa plumbing halafu anakulipa shilingi hamsini. Hata wewe tumia akili bwana, mwambie hii kazi hapana,” he said in jest, sparking laughter from the graduates.
The President urged the graduates not to undervalue their skills, telling them to use their training and expertise to secure better opportunities rather than accepting exploitative terms.
