People Daily ePaper

Ruto’s Headache

President William Ruto is facing fresh political challenge as Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua intensify campaigns in regions that overwhelmingly backed his 2022 presidential bid. While Gachagua has gone ahead...

Sifuna rocks Ruto, Opposition

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s populist stance has placed him right in the centre of Kenyan politics. Analysts observe that Sifuna’s continued constructive criticism of President William Ruto’s administration over governance, high cost of living and...

Who will face Ruto?

With just over a year to the 2027 General Election, Kenya’s political landscape is rapidly taking shape as leaders reposition themselves, forge new alliances and test their influence ahead of what promises to be a fiercely contested presidential...

Friends to Foes

Personal ambition, succession politics, ideological differences and shifting political alliances are to blame for the current fallout among politicians who were once close allies, barely a year to the 2027 General election. From the presidency to MPS,...

Why allies want Gachagua to run

The emphatic victory by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s party in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election has not only altered the opposition’s internal dynamics, but has strengthened his claim as the coalition’s most influential mobiliser as well as...

Race for Kindiki seat after UDA loss

For Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, the outcome of the Ol Kalou by-election should serve as an early warning, especially now when a number of individuals have openly expressed interest in the position he is currently holding. Despite reportedly...

Meet Gachagua’s political generals

The runaway victory clinched by Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) in the recent Ol Kalou by-election has reshaped the politics of Mt Kenya region, by handing former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua his biggest electoral victory since falling out with...

Ol Kalou gives Gachagua edge as Ruto regroups

“I am grateful to the people of Ol Kalou for accepting to add me an extra solider to join the great army that I lead in Defense of Kenyans. I have been struggling with 18 soldiers but with great results; now I have 19, things will be much better.”...

Wantam?

At daybreak on Thursday, overwhelming voter turnout, scenes of elderly voters being escorted to polling stations, amid dramatic online allegations of voter bribery and claims of other electoral malpractices turned the Ol Kalou by-election into far more...

The vote that could shape Ruto and Gachagua’s 2027 race

Apolitical contest between President William Ruto and his former deputy Rigathi Gachagua takes centre stage today as voters in Ol Kalou head to the polls in a by-election that has become a crucial test of who commands the loyalty of the vote-rich Mt...

President’s love for lavish State lodges, fine dining belies his‘hustler’talk

NO.08620

President Ruto, end the goon violence now

President William Ruto is once again on the spot to step in and stop the increasing incidents of organised political violence across the country, before the situation becomes ungovernable. As the Head of State and Government President Ruto took the...

Nyota Fund: Youth face harsh economic realities, collapse

When Ksh22,000 from the National Youth Opportunities towards Advancement (Nyota) Fund dropped into her M-pesa account, Joyce Kifalu thought she had received a lifeline. Eager to change her fortunes, the Mombasa resident hit the ground running,...

Ol Kalou mini-poll exposes money grip in Kenya’s elections

The Ol Kalou by-election has raised concerns over how money factor is the biggest influence in Kenyan elections, as rival camps have deployed unprecedented financial resources, sent top officials and offered voters goodies to voters in a bid to have...

The Ruto Strategy

President William Ruto is leveraging promised 2032 presidential endorsements to secure his 2027 re-election and stabilise his broad-based coalition. President Ruto, who is seeking a second term in office, has promised Deputy Kithure Kindiki, Prime...

Are Cabinet Secretaries Ruto’s new campaign machine?

The heavy deployment of Cabinet Secretaries in the Ol Kalou parliamentary byelection campaigns has renewed debate over whether President William Ruto is relying on members of the Executive to spearhead his re-election bid ahead of the 2027 General...

Arrests and travel chaos

Tension remained high in Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) as police nabbed tens of demonstrators during the Saba Saba Day protests. There was high presence of security personnel, in police vehicles and others with private number plates, to...

Opposition rift deepens over 2027 flagbearer

Kenyans may have to wait longer to know the united opposition’s official presidential torchbearer as 2027 General Election beckons. Opposition leadership continues to face mounting internal and public pressure regarding delays in naming a flagbearer...

Kenya’s 2027 vote: When clout beats policy

Anxiety mounts over possible Cabinet shake-up

The future of broad-based government hangs in the balance after the High Court ruled composition of the current Cabinet violated the two-thirds gender rule as provided for in the constitution. Analysts believe the landmark ruling, delivered by a...

The Wamunyoro pilgrimage: Unlikely visitors signal 2027 realignment

Like him or hate him, there is no denying that former DP Rigathi Gachagua is a brilliant politician. While critics raised eyebrows when he stepped back from the hurly-burly of heated politics and moved to his quiet home of Wamunyoro in Nyeri County,...

How youth vote could save, sink big names in 2027

The rising electoral engagement and boldness of the millennial generation and Gen Z has rattled the political establishment. Gen Z and millennials’ force is shifting the political discourse toward issuebased demands, a paradigm shift from obvious...

Fresh abductions cast a shadow over Ruto’s presidency

Details President William Ruto’s legacy is being shrouded in a new wave of alleged State-sponsored disappearances, abductions and other human rights abuses. Several families have expressed fear after their loved ones went missing during June 25...

Kenya’s retirees time bomb

Longer lives should be a national success story, but country faces a growing retirement disaster, with experts warning that up to 80 per cent of workers risk old-age poverty as pension deductions go unremitted, savings remain low and welfare support...

Exposed: The budget loopholes hiding government wastage

On Tuesday this week, President William Ruto o˜cially assented to the Appropriations Bill, alongside the Finance Act, at State House, Nairobi. Walking with the majesty of a man who is in total control of his government’s financial destiny, the...

PARALYSIS City blockaded

The country woke up to a sealed Nairobi City as police moved to control Gen Z protestors trying to gain access to the capital’s Central Business District, on a day that planned demonstrations across Kenya fizzled out in most towns. Shops, schools,...

Tension builds as nation braces for Gen Z protests

As Kenya approaches the anniversary of the historic June 25, 2024 Gen Z protests, the country finds itself revisiting one of the most defining moments in its recent political history. For many young Kenyans, June 25 is no longer just another date on...

The economic cost of political unrest in Kenya

Thursday June 25, 2026 is a day most Kenyans, especially those who work or run businesses in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD), are wary of. The tension in Nairobi City is palpable. “I am a hair stylist. I work in a salon in Tom Mboya street....

Finance Bill fallout: MPS risk rejection in 2027

A political storm is gathering for 186 lawmakers who skipped the crucial Budget vote, with critics warning their absence could haunt them at the ballot box. As public anger grows, some lawmakers are scrambling to explain why they missed a session many...

Governors mount early defence of Ruto’s 2027 bid

Drawn from diverse regions, these county chiefs are the incumbent’s point persons, using their county-wide political structures to mobilise support across vast areas and defend the President against an increasingly rampant united opposition

Shame of wasted taxpayer billions as Kenyans face hardships

The rising cost of running government has come under renewed scrutiny as millions of Kenyans grapple with high cost of living, increased taxation and shrinking household incomes. Despite repeated pledges by the government to cut expenditure and...

Ruto loyalists close ranks ahead of high-stakes 2027 showdown

Hardly a year to the 2027 general election, President William Ruto’s loyal political allies have intensified efforts to defend his administration against growing criticism over the high cost of living, controversial taxes and rising youth...

Feeding the Monster: Dark evolution of State-backed goons

As dawn breaks over the sweltering port city of Mombasa, groups of young men are already positioning themselves at some of the busiest matatu stages in Likoni, Changamwe, Kisauni, and Tudor. Amidst the buzzing morning traffic — a chaotic rush of...

Why Kenyans may wait years for Ruto’s flagship projects

President William Ruto is determined to have Kenyans smiling next year as the General Election nears if the number of huge projects he has lined up is anything to go by. Last week, the president, through Finance Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, unveiled...

Ruto’s 2027 playbook: The political power of State funds

The fund provides affordable, mobile-based credit, promoting entrepreneurship and savings for citizens who are historically excluded from formal financial systems A government initiative designed to support youth through business financing, mentorship...

Algorithms and Deepfakes: The digital battle for Kenya’s 2027 vote

When William Ruto mounted his successful presidential bid in 2022, his chief digital strategist, Dennis Itumbi, built an online communications outfit known as the Hustler Nation Intelligence Bureau. The platform grew into a powerful digital network...

How the State gives with one hand, takes with the other

It is difficult running a small business in Kenya. If it is not the high operating costs that are gnawing you to the bone, then it’s the complex tax regulations, such as ETIMS compliance, and limited access to affordable credit. Normally, the...

Ksh 3.6trn Ksh 43.6b Grants

Total revenue

Governors who don’t see eye-to-eye

Shifting political interests is causing friction between some governors as clock ticks fast towards 2027 elections. People Daily has learnt that some of these county chiefs are experiencing deep rifts over power, succession and regional dominance,...

Devolving ‘One term’?

Hardly a year before Kenyans head to the polls, several vocal first-term governors are already fighting for their political survival as their rivals, disgruntled allies and ambitious lawmakers have launched early campaigns to unseat them. From...

Fire on the mountain?

In the country’s political history, Mt Kenya has stood out as one of the most politicallyorganised voting blocs, a region whose grievances could be managed through political negotiation and persuasion, economic promises and strategic appointments to...

Ruto’s bumpy road ahead as 2027 beckons

Slightly more than a year to the 2027 General Election, President William Ruto is confronting a growing list of political, economic and governance challenges that will shape his re-election bid. Although the President maintains he is on a...

Why Ebola threat still haunts Africa

The resurgence of Ebola across parts of Africa continues to expose the fragile state of public health systems, weak border surveillance and the social and economic vulnerabilities that allow deadly diseases to spread rapidly. In Kenya, Health Cabinet...

Governors quietly assemble political networks ahead of 2027 elections

As Kenya gears up for the 2027 General Election, a number of governors are quietly building political machinery to enable them to continue being relevant beyond their counties, in what is shaping up to be an early scramble for regional kingpin...

Will we ever learn?

Kenya’s education sector is once again under national scrutiny following the tragic fire outbreak at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, that claimed the lives of 16 students and left dozens injured. The heart-breaking incident has...

Inside Gachagua’s 2027 campaign think tank

Hardly a year before the 2027 general election, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has put together a team of loyal and youthful politicians, grassroots leaders who are not only his foot soldiers but have been pushing for his election...

Higher taxes, fewer jobs, harder days for Kenyans

The fuel crisis has revealed just how bad things are going to get for Kenyans as the country limps from one crisis to another in 2026. As President William Ruto’s administration prepares to adopt the Finance Bill 2026, which introduces several taxes...

How State’s appetite for taxes created fuel crisis

Cost of government’s addiction to taxes in hidden charges and securitised levies deepen country’s debt burden and take a toll at the pump

Fuel crisis: Deaths, chaos amid State inaction

The full wrath of Kenyans came to the fore yesterday as nationwide protests over skyrocketing fuel prices brought transport to a grinding halt, leaving commuters stranded at home as both private and public service vehicles remained grounded. Since...

Can coastal Kenya break its cycle of political dependency?

Leadership from the coastal leadership has found new comfort in drifting closer to the centre of power ahead of the 2027 election, unlike in the past, where the region historically stood as an opposition stronghold. The leaders have shifted their...

The Anger Vote: Will young Kenyans elect out of rage in 2027?

For many young Kenyans, the 2027 General Election may not be about hope, it may be about frustration. Expensive rent, rising food prices, joblessness and daily financial pressures are increasingly shaping how Gen Z is thinking about politics. For a...

Swapping the pen for the sword: Journalists running in 2027 polls

From the Fourth Estate, a growing number of journalists in the country are pivoting towards the executive and legislative arms of government as the nation inches closer to the General Election. Should their bids succeed, Kenya could witness a notable...

Kitui and Garissa counties seek State help over banditry The governors said they will strengthen inter-county coordination

Speaking on Thursday in Mwingi town, the two governors, Julius Malombe from Kitui and Nathif Jama from Garissa said they have resolved to organise joint security meetings to develp coordinated strategies to flush out bandits. While the two counties do...

MPS want tougher penalties for animal, crop theft in new law

Lawmakers have called for tougher penalties, as well as legal and administrative reforms to curb rising cases of livestock and produce theft. This follows concern that the vice is crippling rural livelihoods and fuelling insecurity. While debating the...

Senate panel unearths ‘ghost’municipalities, fiscal rot in counties

ASenate committee has unearthed how municipalities in the counties have failed to fully operationalise their municipality charter, have weak budgetary control and revenue under-realisation, and lack of operational autonomy from the County...

Is Ruto an incumbent under siege?

With just 15 months to the 2027 general election, President William Ruto is perhaps staring at a more formidable and coordinated opposition, which has in the recent past been holding triumphant rallies across the country. After months of disagreements...

Living on credit: Why Kenyans can’t save

FIGURES 68.1pc Rate of savings dropped to 68.1 per cent in 2023, from 74 per cent 17.1pc lack of savings has led to decline in longterm savings from 39.5 per cent in 2021 to just 17.1 per cent 18.3pc only 18.3 per cent of Kenyans are considered...

Orengo vs Oburu

The Orange party’s unity historically relied on the singular charisma of the late Raila Odinga. Six months after his death and without him acting as the gravitational force, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has now splintered into competing...

Politics in the Pulpit: How churches are shaping the 2027 race

Wetang’ula: Cornered by law, losing ground

The decision by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula to suspend Bumula MP Jack Wamboka as chairperson of the Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education over bribery allegations has yet again raised questions over how the Speaker has...

Why Ruto wants a new political vehicle for 2027

Political survival, control, stability and the quest for more numbers are the reasons why President William Ruto is pushing parties to fold up and join United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ahead of the 2027 General election. Ruto, who is keen on retaining...

How reality is forcing Ruto’s retreat

Clear signs that the struggles of incumbency could be fast catching up with President William Ruto, as the home stretch to 2027 approaches, are beginning to emerge. This is even as the president appears to openly renege on some of the defining...