Ekuru Aukot: Kenya will not collapse if Ruto is not President
By Aloys Michael, July 24, 2025Thirdway Alliance Party Leader Ekuru Aukot has scoffed at President William Ruto, stating that the country does not depend on one individual for survival.
His remarks come just days after ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna declared that removing President Ruto is a national priority ahead of the 2027 general elections.
As the political temperature rises ahead of the 2027 elections, voices like Aukot’s are adding to the growing wave of criticism targeting President Ruto’s leadership, with accountability, human rights, and public trust becoming central themes in the opposition’s message.
“Kenya will not collapse if Ruto is not the President. The people in government today must account to us as the people of Kenya. I agree with Sifuna that the people of Kenya have lost confidence in the Presidency and the current government,” Aukot said during an interview with a local TV station on Thursday, July 24, 2025.
“This country is not tethered to one man’s leadership. We must stop acting like without him, everything falls apart.”
He called on those currently in power to answer to Kenyans for their failures, especially on governance, human rights, and the economy.
“The people in government today must account to us as the people of Kenya. We’re dealing with a regime that has failed to protect lives, curb corruption, or implement the promises it made. They owe us answers, not excuses,” he said.
ODM legacy stake?
Aukot also directed strong criticism at Uriri MP Mark Nyamita, who had earlier defended ODM’s cooperation with the Kenya Kwanza government and downplayed concerns about state-sponsored violence.
“For the longest time, ODM stood for a particular vision of Kenya, change, democracy, constitutionalism, and the protection of human rights. But today, you are being associated with killings and abductions. You cannot excuse it by saying the killings didn’t start with the Ruto government. You are now part of the current government,” the Thirdway party argued.
Taking direct aim at President Ruto’s legacy, Aukot questioned what tangible transformation the Head of State had brought to the country.
“What is the history of the person you are defending as a leader?” he asked.
“What is it that we can associate with William Ruto as a transformational leader, other than corruption, killings, the 2007 post-election violence, and the ICC trials?”
The honcho said the Kenyan electorate must stop being manipulated by emotional appeals or tribal politics and instead focus on the integrity and track record of those seeking leadership.
“There will be no room for sentiment in 2027. The next election is about reclaiming the soul of this nation, not protecting political friendships,” he warned.