Ruto to Gen-Z protesters: ‘Tupatane 2027’

By Peter Ochieng

After weeks of inhouse meetings trying to contain protests organized by Gen-Zs and millennials against the Finance Bill, 2024 and calls for good governance, President William Ruto on Wednesday stepped out of State House, strongly calling for his resignation to wait until 2027.

Kenyans will go to the polls in 2027, five years after Ruto was elected in office for his first term.

Speaking in Kajiado County on Wednesday when he commissioned the Kibuka Power substation, President Ruto said that just like any other leader who fails to meet people’s expectations, the electorate have the power to vote him out during the 2027 polls.

"Nataka tuelewe ya kwamba vile tunasonga mbele ni kuhakikisha ya kwamba kila kiongozi; kila mmoja wetu, tujue ya kwamba pale 2027 tutafanya mtihani na hawa wananchi na kila mtu atakuja na kazi yake amefanya," said Ruto.

This translates to “I want us to understand that going forward is to make sure that every leader; every one of us, let us know that in 2027 we will sit for an exam and everyone will come with the work he or she did.”

Before 2027, the Head of State added, voters should give leaders time to work and choose to remove or retain them in office when elections are called. He said Kenya is a democratic country, insisting that elected leaders must be given time to complete their term, in an apparent reference to the demonstrations organized by Gen-Zs and millennials. Posters with messages such as ‘Ruto must go’ were common during the protests.

"Let us not destroy our country or cause chao. We are a democratic country and, in any democracy, it is the role of voters to decide and they decide during elections. Everybody should prepare himself, I am also preparing,” said the President.

He added that any leader who has not worked for Kenyans, should be sent packing during the 2027 polls.