The President spoke during a media engagement at the Kitui State Lodge on Thursday evening, where he made it clear that he was not holding any political talks with Kalonzo at the moment.
Ruto insisted that his focus was fully on development and not on forming new alliances. He explained that the people of Kenya expect him to deliver services, not to spend time engaging in early campaigns or political games.
He said that although political leaders have the freedom to make their own decisions, he would not allow politics to distract him from the promises he made during the 2022 campaigns.
Ruto stated, “As for matters involving political parties, those are just normal political discussions. I will not talk about politics today. I am here to speak about development and the needs of the people of Ukambani.”
He added that he will only enter political debates when the right time comes.
His comments were made shortly after reports suggested that the President was secretly trying to bring Kalonzo Musyoka and DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa into his broad-based government.
The reports also claimed that the plan was crafted to weaken his former Deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, who has recently been involved in several political disagreements within Kenya Kwanza.
However, both Kalonzo Musyoka and Eugene Wamalwa denied the claims. They explained that they were not planning to leave the opposition or join Ruto’s administration.
They insisted that they remain committed to holding the government accountable. The rumours created a lot of public debate because Kalonzo is currently one of the strongest opposition leaders.
Many people believe he will be the main challenger to President Ruto in 2027, especially after Raila Odinga stepped back from active local politics.
During the same media event, President Ruto also spoke about ongoing development projects. He promised to complete many of the projects started during the Uhuru Kenyatta administration within the next few months.
According to him, this approach follows the example set by Uhuru, who completed most of Mwai Kibaki’s projects two years after taking office.
Ruto said, “The former President noted that it took him about two and a half years to complete the projects started by his predecessor. I am doing the same. We are committed to finishing what we found in progress so that Kenyans can benefit.”
His remarks were meant to reassure the public that development remains a top priority even as political temperatures gradually rise.
The President’s visit to Kitui was part of his wider development tour in Ukambani, where he met residents, inspected projects, and launched new ones. His message to the people was that their region will not be left behind, regardless of their political choices.
Observers say that the President is trying to build strong relationships in areas that did not vote heavily for him in 2022. Ukambani is one of those regions, and Kalonzo Musyoka remains its most influential political figure.
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