NAIROBI – President William Ruto and his former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, delivered sharply contrasting sermons from separate pulpits on Sunday, laying bare growing political tensions over the country’s direction.
Speaking to worshippers in Nairobi’s Makadara neighbourhood, President Ruto defended his administration’s development record. He said programmes like the Affordable Housing initiative are evidence of a government on course to “transform Kenya.”
“I am committed, I am determined, I am focused,” Ruto told the congregation at the Church of Christ in Africa. “No amount of intimidation or name-calling will change my course, because I have an assignment to change Kenya.”
But hundreds of kilometres away, at the Jesus Celebration Centre in Kilifi County, Gachagua struck a different tone.
“I heard someone in church today claiming he has a divine assignment,” Gachagua said. “That’s fine. But the same God who gives you that assignment also says, ‘Thou shall not kill.’”
It was a pointed jab an allusion to the government’s handling of last year’s deadly protests over tax hikes, in which dozens of demonstrators, mostly young, were killed by police. Human rights groups, including the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, have since condemned the use of force.
Without mentioning Ruto by name, Gachagua criticised the government for what he called “double standards” presenting itself as committed to reform while presiding over exclusion and repression.
“You cannot claim divine guidance on one hand and ignore basic commandments on the other,” he added.
The split-screen moments highlight a deepening political rift between the President and his former running mate, once hailed as a united front following their 2022 election win. While Ruto presses on with his broad-based government and ambitious development promises, Gachagua has repositioned himself as a voice for the marginalised particularly in Mt Kenya, where discontent over the cost of living and alleged political isolation has grown.
Ruto’s defenders argue that his administration is laying a long-term foundation for growth. Housing, digital jobs, and infrastructure are at the centre of his agenda.
His critics, however, say the benefits have yet to reach ordinary citizens. Many have struggled under rising prices, tax burdens, and a widening gap between promise and delivery.
“I don’t want rhetoric,” said Jane Mwende, a small business owner in Nairobi’s Eastlands. “I want to see real change in my life lower rent, more customers, fewer taxes.”
The President’s camp has remained tight-lipped about Gachagua’s latest comments. But close aides have in the past accused the former deputy of stoking division and attempting to ride a wave of public frustration for political gain.
Still, Gachagua’s growing visibility suggests he is far from fading quietly into the political background.
As both men trade scripture-laced speeches across the country, Kenyans watching from the pews and the streets may be left wondering: whose vision of the nation’s future will come to pass?
