Several days ago, President William Ruto embarked on a tour of Nairobi, following his unexpected rapprochement with former political rival Raila Odinga. After years of bitter rivalry, their newly formalized cooperation led many to expect a warm reception for Ruto across the county, bolstered by Raila’s longstanding influence in the city. Since Raila’s ODM party triumphed in the 2007 elections, his dominance over Nairobi’s politics has been undeniable—a leverage Ruto likely assumed would unify residents in his favour. Yet, the tour quickly unravelled into a debacle, exposing deep political fractures rather than the unity Ruto had envisioned.
Far from a triumph, the visit forced Ruto to recalibrate his itinerary, avoiding constituencies controlled by his rivals, notably those aligned with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka. Key areas such as Embakasi North, Roysambu, Embakasi South, Starehe, Embakasi East, Kasarani, and Embakasi Central—strongholds of Gachagua, Kalonzo, and various opposition figures—remained conspicuously absent from his route, underscoring Nairobi’s enduring divides.
In Embakasi North and Central, MPs Mwangi Gakuya and Major Donk, both loyal Gachagua allies, epitomize the deep-seated animosity toward Ruto. Gakuya, a potential Nairobi gubernatorial candidate backed by the Mount Kenya region, has fueled opposition sentiment, amplified by claims of government persecution against the region’s leadership. Similarly, in Embakasi South, Kalonzo’s Wiper Party commands significant support from the Kamba community, bolstered by local MP Julius Mawathe’s vocal criticism of Ruto’s administration, leaving the President’s influence there negligible.
Embakasi East presents its own complexities. Despite MP Babu Owino’s affiliation with Raila’s ODM, his outspoken rejection of the Ruto-Raila alliance has deepened tensions in a constituency where the Kikuyu community—many of whom support Gachagua—remains staunchly opposed to Ruto. Roysambu and Kasarani proved equally inhospitable. In Roysambu, MP Kamande Mwafrika’s allegiance to Gachagua kept Ruto at bay, while in Kasarani, resident opposition to Ruto’s Affordable Housing project derailed plans for a market groundbreaking and pedestrian mobility initiatives.
Starehe, a longstanding hotspot of resistance to Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration, posed another challenge. The constituency, prominent during last year’s protests, is home to a large informal sector workforce—hawkers and bodaboda operators—who form a key support base for Gachagua. For Ruto, it proved an insurmountable barrier.
Ironically, Raila Odinga, expected to join Ruto on this pivotal tour, was notably absent. Key ODM figures like Secretary General Edwin Sifuna and Babu Owino followed suit, while Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi appeared only when Ruto visited his constituency. Wanyonyi, a potential 2027 Nairobi gubernatorial contender, has voiced reservations about the Ruto-Raila alliance, particularly given Governor Johnson Sakaja’s close ties to Raila. This selective engagement laid bare the alliance’s fragility amid competing ambitions and loyalties.
Ruto’s experience echoes the political challenges faced by leaders elsewhere. In the United Kingdom, figures like Theresa May and Boris Johnson grappled with fractured alliances and urban opposition, while in the United States, Donald Trump faced similar resistance in navigating major cities. Like them, Ruto finds himself in a political minefield, where unity remains elusive.
Ultimately, Ruto’s Nairobi tour was not the unifying moment he sought but a stark reminder of Kenya’s entrenched rivalries. Despite efforts to bridge divides, the capital’s response—shaped by deep loyalties and personal ambitions—revealed Nairobi as a fiercely contested battleground with the 2027 elections on the horizon.
