Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has launched a strong criticism against President William Ruto, accusing him of dismantling some of the most impactful programs from his administration and replacing them with what he termed as “untried and untested schemes.”
Speaking during the Jubilee Party Special National Delegates Conference at Ngong Racecourse, Uhuru pointed to programs such as Linda Mama as examples of initiatives that transformed lives but have since been scrapped. Introduced in 2013, Linda Mama provided free health insurance to pregnant women and their newborns, covering antenatal, delivery, postnatal, and infant care. The program was recently replaced by Linda Jamii under the new Social Health Authority, which aims to cover the entire maternal journey.
“Today, many of the gains of the past have been eroded. Linda Mama and others have been replaced by new, untried and untested schemes. While we wait for these experiments to work, Kenyans suffer and our progress is dragged,” Uhuru said.
He argued that Kenyans are now paying the price as they wait for the government’s experiments to take root. Reflecting on the 2022 elections, Uhuru said his warnings about political choices were ignored, and today’s realities prove otherwise. “As we continue to dwell in rhetoric rather than progress, we repeat the mistakes of the past. Some of the truths we spoke of and some of the myths have become the nightmares that many are living with,” he remarked.
The former president also criticized the government’s heavy-handed approach toward citizens. “This machine that we built was not meant to face the citizens. It was not supposed to be a source of fear and conflict with our citizens. Ilikuwa ya kulinda wananchi sio kuumiza,” he said.
Uhuru further praised the energy of young people, especially during the anti-Finance Bill 2024 protests. He urged the youth to move beyond demonstrations and take up political leadership. “I have watched carefully beyond the noise of the past and admire the tribeless generation of our time. It is my hope today that some of us give way so that the young ones with courage on the streets can use it to transform our country. You have the energy to get it,” he stated.
Addressing the divisive “hustler versus dynasty” narrative that dominated the last election, Uhuru dismissed it as political propaganda. “Hii story watu walisema ya hustler sijui dynasty… kila mtu ako na nafasi ya kuongoza. Kila mtoto, uwe umezaliwa kwa nyumba ya matope ama dhahabu akona nafasi ya kuongoza nchi,” he insisted.
Looking ahead, Uhuru confirmed that Jubilee will field candidates in all elective positions and begin a nationwide recruitment drive to strengthen its grassroots presence. He emphasized that the party will prioritize transparency in its processes, avoiding past mistakes where nominations were influenced by money. “Shida ambazo zilitokea hapo awali… hiyo imeisha. Transparency will be there in all the processes we shall follow,” he said.
By Yockshard Enyendi