Listen to Kenyans, the Ground is Hostile – Mutahi Ngunyi Tells Ruto

Political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi has urged President William Ruto to show more empathy towards Kenyans.

Ngunyi made a post on his X account on Monday asserting that the President is concentrating on maintaining ties with Western nations instead of resolving domestic issues affecting the people. These concerns are not unfounded as many Kenyans are experiencing a high cost of living. His remarks coincided with Ruto's return from a 10-day visit to the United States, where he attended the United Nations General Assembly and met with various heads of state and business leaders to discuss bilateral relations and business opportunities.

"Dear Ruto: Take time to listen to Kenyans. The ground is hostile. And dishing out development at Uhuru Park will not help you. You are talking to yourself. Period. You are popular abroad with Muzungus. But at home, we are hostile. Take time to listen. Truth report," Ngunyi said.

Despite having fiercely opposed President Ruto in the 2022 elections, Ngunyi, the former technical advisor to retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, publicly voiced his support for Ruto in August 2023. Although Ngunyi now expresses steadfast loyalty to the President, he is known to regularly issue candid opinions with no distortions. The political commentator admitted that he had previously misjudged Ruto from a biased perspective.

Ngunyi's remarks that the ground is hostile comes in the wake of the recent increase in fuel prices that have seen the cost of petrol, diesel, and kerosene reaching Sh211.64, Sh200.99, and Sh202.61 per litre, respectively. Local leaders and Kenyans in general have strongly criticized the government for this, calling on opposition leader Raila Odinga to intervene. Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua recently defended the government against these complaints, appealing to the residents of Mt Kenya not to censure the government as the circumstances are beyond their control due to external factors.

Gachagua emphasized that the government belongs to all Kenyans and urged them not to be the first to throw stones, stating that they should continue to pray for the president so that he can revive the economy to the level left by former President Mwai Kibaki.