Kirwa: Ruto fears 2027 loss, may relocate tallying centre to flee
Former Agriculture Minister Kipruto Arap Kirwa has claimed that President William Ruto may relocate the presidential election tallying centre from Nairobi to make it easier to flee if he loses in 2027.
Speaking during a morning TV interview on Monday, June 16, 2025, Kirwa said that the president is aware that the upcoming election may not go in his favour and could be trying to create a route for a quick exit.
“I suspect the tallying centre may not be in Nairobi,” Kirwa said. “He may want to be away from the city so that, if necessary, he can get assistance to leave the country temporarily.”
Kirwa suggested that Ruto’s recent actions point to fear-mongering, aimed at either keeping his support base intact or discouraging his opponents from showing up at the ballot.
“He wants to create apathy among those of us who want him out of office,” Kirwa said. “He’s trying to make it look like there’s no point voting because he will not hand over power.”
He will be isolated if he loses
Kirwa reassured Kenyans that such tactics would not work.
“I just want to assure Kenyans, when the time comes, Ruto will be left alone,” he said. “Even his own ministers will not come out of their houses when they see the people filling the streets, just like in 2002 when Kibaki won.”
Kirwa drew comparisons to the 2002 election, when outgoing President Daniel arap Moi eventually handed over power to Mwai Kibaki, despite internal resistance from some in his cabinet.
“Some of us in government at the time thought Moi might still cling to power,” Kirwa recalled. “But in the end, he picked up his rungu and said, ‘Let’s go hand over.’ Many of his ministers didn’t even show up at the ceremony.”
He warned that Ruto could face a similar moment of isolation.
“That day will come when you realise you are just an ordinary Kenyan,” Kirwa said. “It’s a very humbling experience. I’ve gone through it myself.”
Kirwa added that recent data and political trends show Ruto’s support may be slipping, saying it would be difficult to rig a vote unless the margin is very close.
“You can’t steal more than a million votes unless the margin is small, like 200,000,” he said. “But it’s clear that whoever runs against him may beat him by 2 to 3 million votes.”
Kirwa concluded by urging the president to prepare for the possibility of stepping down gracefully.
“At the right time, I believe he will accept that he’s going to be a former president.”
Author
Kenneth Mwenda
Kenneth Mwenda is a digital writer with over five years of experience. He graduated in February 2022 with a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from The Co-operative University of Kenya. He has written news and feature stories for platforms such as Construction Review Online, Sports Brief, Briefly News, and Criptonizando. In 2023, he completed a course in Digital Investigation Techniques with AFP. He joined K24 Digital in May 2025. For inquiries, he can be reached at [email protected].
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