Kenyan President William Ruto has assured citizens that the country’s 2027 general election will be peaceful, free, and fair amid growing political tensions and early campaigning ahead of the vote.
Ruto made the remarks on Thursday during Kenya’s National Prayer Breakfast, where he urged Kenyans not to panic over the country’s political future and insisted that no individual could interfere with what God had planned for the nation.
“We are going to have elections, and they will be peaceful, and there will be no violence, and they will be free and fair,” Ruto said during the event.
“Yes, they will be free and fair, because what God has decided, no man can change.”
The Kenyan leader also addressed growing speculation surrounding his chances of securing a second term in office during the 2027 election.
“So relax, people are in a panic,” he said.
“Yes, Ruto will get a second term, he will come, that’s what will happen, and we will move on as a country.”
Ruto further warned against attempts to divide Kenya politically or ethnically ahead of the election season.
“Those who believe they will divide this country, they will not succeed, they will fail spectacularly,” he said.
The president also mixed English and Swahili during the speech while calling for national unity and optimism about Kenya’s future.
“Tulieni, hamna problem… this country will move forward. Kenya will succeed, and we are a great nation,” he told the audience.
“If I had an option, and I was given a chance, which nationality to be born, I would want to be born a Kenyan.”
The remarks come as political activity has already started intensifying across Kenya more than a year before the next general election, with debates growing around governance, the economy, youth unemployment, and electoral credibility.
Kenya has experienced several politically tense elections over the past two decades, including periods of violence and disputed results, making calls for peaceful elections highly significant in the country’s political environment.
Ruto’s comments at the prayer gathering appeared aimed at reassuring both supporters and critics that the next election would proceed without instability while also projecting confidence in his own political future.
The 2027 election is expected to become one of the most closely watched political contests in East Africa as parties begin positioning themselves for another major national campaign cycle.
