Willis Otieno rebukes Ruto for mocking youth demands and protests

Kenyan lawyer and political commentator Willis Otieno has strongly criticised President William Ruto’s recent remarks targeting the country’s youth and opposition leaders. In a powerful message posted online, Otieno reminded the president that leadership is about responsibility, not entitlement.

“If you stood before the people to ask for votes, you must now stand before them to answer for your actions,” Otieno wrote on X on Monday, July 14, 2025. “You don’t get to call them children when they remind you of the promises you made.”

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Otieno’s comments come in the wake of Ruto’s growing frustration over nationwide protests led mainly by Gen Z Kenyans. The demonstrations, which began as a rejection of the Finance Bill 2024, have grown into a larger movement demanding transparency, accountability, and better governance.

Campaign mode must end

Otieno took issue with Ruto’s tone, accusing the president of behaving like he’s still on the campaign trail rather than governing the country.

“That arrogance is precisely why this country is in crisis, leaders who want power without scrutiny, authority without accountability,” Otieno added. “You can’t run a nation like a campaign rally forever. Eventually, the people demand receipts.”

His statement struck a chord with many Kenyans, especially at a time when the president has been doubling down on defending his government’s economic policies and warning protest organisers.

Ruto’s recent remarks

President Ruto has in recent days insisted that his administration has stabilised the economy, even claiming that Kenya is now among the top six largest economies in Africa. According to him, the country narrowly avoided a debt crisis due to “disciplined and strategic planning.”

“Our currency is stable, our foreign exchange earnings are stable… Kenya is now the sixth largest economy in Africa,” Ruto said on July 12, while defending his record.

However, these claims come at a time when many Kenyans are grappling with high taxes, joblessness, and rising costs of living, the very issues fuelling the ongoing protests.

On July 10, the president told young Kenyans not to listen to “visionless leaders” who are using them for political gain. He went as far as blaming political and religious leaders for inciting youth-led protests, warning of legal consequences for those he said were “fuelling unrest.”