Student leaders at the University of Nairobi have declared their support for President William Ruto while rejecting former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s efforts to influence political alignments involving the Luo community ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking during a press briefing at the University of Nairobi Main Campus on Wednesday, September 23, the leaders said they respected Kenyatta but insisted that he should also respect their political choices.
The student leaders said they had moved on from the 2022 General Election and had chosen to work with President Ruto rather than remain neutral or support what they described as an emerging opposition alliance involving leaders from the Gema community.
They argued that the Luo community should not repeat what they described as past political arrangements that failed to deliver adequate benefits to the community.
“Jakom never sat on the fence when difficult choices were being made. He picked a side however hard. In his example, we have taken the side of President Ruto,” the leaders said in their statement.
The leaders also criticised the political groupings associated with former President Kenyatta, former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and former Prime Minister Fred Matiang’i, arguing that previous political partnerships had not delivered sufficient development to regions outside Mt Kenya.
They contrasted the development record they attribute to the Ruto administration with the previous administration under Kenyatta, claiming that the current government had undertaken projects across the country.
“We support President Ruto because he is working for us and the country is on its way to being a first world country,” they said.
The student leaders further warned Kenyatta against seeking to position himself as a leader of the Orange Democratic Movement and the Luo community following the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
They questioned why Kenyatta did not campaign extensively with Odinga in the Mt Kenya region during the 2022 election period, contrasting this with Odinga’s role in the 2002 presidential campaign that supported former President Mwai Kibaki.
The leaders also called on Kenyatta to allow Odinga to rest, saying the former president should not use the late opposition leader’s legacy to pursue renewed political influence.
“Allow Baba to rest in peace. Allow us support President Ruto in peace. We have chosen Ruto confidently and boldly,” they said.
UNSA is the overall student body at the University of Nairobi and represents students across the institution. Its stated objectives include promoting student welfare, representation, freedom of expression and association, as well as participation in university decision-making.
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