President Ruto: Why 2022 election was a turning point for Kenya

President William Ruto has outlined reasons why he believes the 2022 general election was the most significant in Kenya’s history.

In his address during the 20^th Annual National Prayer Breakfast, the head of state highlighted the unique political circumstances and challenges that surrounded the election.

“The last general election was in a category of its own. It is the election where the two national formations had actually a national face on either side. The ethnic configuration that always informed our politics was not there. We had both sides presenting a national face in their formation,” he said

Ruto stated that last the election was also the most evident issue-based with Presidential candidates competing on ideas and policies such as debt and the contentious housing fund.

“Our brothers on the other side for example said borrowing money was good because we were using other people’s money to run our development which made some sense. We argued on our side that we needed to slow down because borrowing could lead us to a different place but we also had occasions when both formations agreed like for example on housing,” he stated

The President noted that the election was one of Kenya’s closely contested with former President Uhuru Kenyatta declaring support Azimio leader Raila Odinga while Ruto who was then the Deputy President, being sidelined for the better part of their second term.

“We had a closely contested election because it only happens in Kenya that in our last election the opposition leader became the government Candidate and the sitting Deputy President became the opposition candidate,” said Ruto

“And, as things would be the opposition candidate won the election and the sitting President then handed over power to his Deputy and went ahead to become the leader of the opposition party. That only happens in Kenya it was quite amazing,” he added

However, the President expressed his gratitude for the peaceful nature of the election despite the major political difference that characterized the 2022 general election.