UHURU BACK ON 2027 POLITICAL FRONTLINE AFTER COURT RULING

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has returned to the centre of Kenya’s political conversation after a High Court ruling opened the way for retired presidents to participate more freely in active politics.

The September 21, 2026 judgment by Justice Bahati Mwamuye declared unconstitutional provisions of the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act that had restricted retired presidents from holding political party office and linked their retirement benefits to political participation.
The ruling came only days after another High Court decision had upheld the restrictions, creating conflicting judicial interpretations over the political rights of former heads of state.

The development has immediately acquired political significance because Kenyatta remains deeply involved in Jubilee Party affairs and the wider opposition realignment ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Just a day after the ruling, Kenyatta chaired a Jubilee Party National Executive Council meeting and used the occasion to hit back at President William Ruto, accusing the administration of repeatedly blaming his previous government for problems facing the country.

"We accepted that they won. Four years later, it is still Uhuru this and Uhuru that. But when things are not working, you start blaming someone else. Kenyans are smart, they know," Kenyatta said.

The former president also defended his right to speak on national issues despite the criticism directed at him by members of the Kenya Kwanza administration.

"Naskia wakiniita 'sponyo' [sponsor] wengine 'rebel leader' lakini kwani kuongea haki yangu ni vibaya?" he said.

The remarks came against the backdrop of repeated criticism from Ruto, who has accused his predecessor of financing opposition activities and remaining involved in partisan politics instead of taking on the traditional role of a retired statesman.

During a recent tour of Nyanza, Ruto referred to Kenyatta as a "rebel leader" and questioned his continued political involvement.

"I am surprised that a person who has served as President of Kenya, instead of leaving office to become a statesman, chooses to become a rebel leader, an opposition figure. Now the courts are telling him to step aside," Ruto said.

The President has also accused Kenyatta of sponsoring opposition figures and movements, including political initiatives associated with Siaya Governor James Orengo. In Siaya, Ruto mocked the "Linda Mwananchi" campaign by referring to it as "Linda Sponsor".

"And now he has hired Orengo here, those people of Linda Sponsor. Governor Orengo should abandon talk of Linda Sponsor. If Uhuru Kenyatta could not defeat me while he was president, does he really think he can defeat me now?" Ruto posed.

Kenyatta, however, has rejected the characterisation of his current political activities as an attempt to return to the presidency.

"As Uhuru, I have asked Kenyans for the presidential vote three times. The Constitution says two terms. I respect the law and the Constitution. To say Uhuru will not be president does not mean Jubilee is finished," he said.

At Tuesday's Jubilee meeting, Kenyatta formally threw his weight behind former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i as the party's presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

The former president described Matiang’i as a leader with wisdom, integrity and a strong work ethic.

“I am supporting Matiang'i because we want to bring an end to tribal politics. I have looked at him and seen a man of wisdom, not a man of corruption, but a man of work,” Kenyatta said.

Kenyatta also urged the party to stop internal disagreements and begin preparing candidates for positions ranging from Members of County Assembly to governor, senator and Member of Parliament.

“Let us not have internal squabbles. Let us go hunt for MCA aspirants, Governor aspirants, Senators, MPs, and we have our candidate Matiang’i. That is my request to you today,” he said.

He further called for Jubilee to work with parties and leaders sharing its political objectives rather than concentrating its campaign on attacking opponents.

“As Jubilee, we respect other parties and we want to work together with like-minded parties with the view of changing Kenya and moving the country forward with the people united,” he said.

And as the party begins its preparations, Kenyatta made clear that he does not intend to contest an elective position himself.

“I will not be contesting for any seat but Jubilee will be fielding candidates. We must do what other parties are doing,” he said.

Although the court ruling has removed a major legal barrier to his continued political involvement, Kenyatta indicated that he intends to reduce his formal responsibilities rather than remain at the top of Jubilee's day-to-day leadership.

He said he would hand over the party leadership and become a senior adviser while awaiting the National Delegates Convention.

"I have decided to step down from that top position and become a senior advisor, since I am still here. I will remain a senior member of Jubilee in the meantime as we wait for the NDC. My younger brother should take up that position, and we organise ourselves for the work of 2027. That is not running away, that is planning ahead," he said.

Kenyatta was similarly emphatic about remaining within Jubilee, describing it as his political home.

“Mimi kwa sababu siwezi kutoka Jubilee, nitatoka Jubilee niende wapi?” he asked.
He added:
“Mimi niende, nichukue hiyo ingine ya juu, niwe kama hapo senior advisor.”

He also assured party members that he would remain available to them.
“Watu mkija mkitaka kuniona, mimi bado niko,” he said.

Kenyatta framed the transition as a reorganisation rather than a retreat from politics.
“Nikifanya hivyo, ni kutoroka nimetoroka ama ni kujipanga tunajipanga?” he asked, with the gathering responding that it was about "kujipanga" — reorganising for the political contest ahead.

The planned transition follows the earlier High Court ruling by Justice Lawrence Mugambi, which had upheld Section 6 of the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act and led Kenyatta's office to indicate that he would step aside from formal party leadership. That ruling did not prevent retired presidents from remaining party members or participating in political activities, but restricted them from holding formal party office beyond the prescribed period.

Justice Mwamuye's subsequent judgment took a different position, declaring the relevant restrictions unconstitutional and effectively changing the legal environment surrounding Kenyatta's political participation.

Kenyatta's renewed activity comes as opposition parties restructure ahead of the 2027 election.

On September 21, Azimio la Umoja was rebranded as the Ukombozi Alliance after coalition leaders agreed to a new political identity. Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka announced the change and said the coalition would move into a new phase ahead of the election.

Kalonzo also said Kenyatta, who chaired the Azimio Council, would convene the Jubilee meeting that has now taken place, with the outcome expected to feed into the wider coalition's arrangements.

The political restructuring has placed Kenyatta in a position where his formal role inside Jubilee may diminish while his broader involvement in opposition coordination continues to attract attention.

His interactions with Matiang’i and other opposition figures have already become more visible. On September 18, Kenyatta, Matiang’i and People’s Party of Kenya leader Ndindi Nyoro appeared together at the burial of Christine Waruguru Kariuki in Murang’a, following earlier public calls by Matiang’i and Nyoro for opposition cooperation.

The renewed exchanges between Ruto and Kenyatta have also reopened arguments surrounding the 2022 presidential election.

Kenyatta backed Raila Odinga's presidential bid after his political relationship with Ruto broke down. Ruto subsequently defeated Odinga in the presidential contest, with the Supreme Court upholding the election result.

In a video circulating on social media, Kenyatta is attributed as saying:
“Ruto says he defeated me in 2022. Was I the one who was on the ballot, or was it Raila?”

Kenyatta has, however, separately reiterated his view that Odinga was the rightful winner of the 2022 presidential election, adding another point of disagreement between the former political partners.

The Ruto-Kenyatta relationship has therefore travelled a long way from the Jubilee partnership that brought the two together in the 2013 election. Their alliance was built around the Jubilee formation, which brought together parties including The National Alliance and the United Republican Party before the parties were consolidated into the Jubilee Party in 2016.

Ruto later left Jubilee and pursued his 2022 presidential campaign through the United Democratic Alliance.

The latest court decision does not automatically place Kenyatta back in the formal leadership of Jubilee. Instead, his own statements point towards a different arrangement: Matiang’i taking greater responsibility for the party while Kenyatta remains a senior adviser and prominent political figure.