KANU Youth disowns Moi-Ruto alliance, demands action on citizens’ needs

By | October 14, 2025

The KANU National Youth Congress addresses the media at the KANU headquarters in Nairobi on October 14, 2025. PHOTO/HANDOUT

The Kenya African National Union (KANU) Youth Congress has publicly disowned the reported political partnership between party Chairman Gideon Moi and President William Ruto, stating that no agreement between the two leaders reflects the party’s core values or the aspirations of Kenyan youth.

In a statement released on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, and signed by Chairperson Shanice Chibeka Matara and Secretary Meshack Kiprotich, the youth wing reaffirmed its dedication to transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.

Reports indicate that Gideon Moi had initially set his sights on reclaiming the Baringo senatorial seat in the upcoming November by-election.

However, following a high-profile meeting with President William Ruto, he abruptly withdrew his candidature, a move that signalled a new political realignment.

Soon after, President Ruto visited Moi at his Kabarak home, where the two leaders held talks that culminated in KANU’s announcement of its decision to join the broad-based government under the Kenya Kwanza coalition.

This engagement, between President Ruto and Gideon Moi was part of a wider unity strategy aimed at consolidating political forces behind the President’s administration.

Yet, within KANU, the development has been met with unease.

The KANU Youth Congress interpreted this pact as a departure from the party’s long-held principles of accountability, respect for human rights, and constitutionalism, values they insist must remain at the core of its political identity and public service mission.

The Youth leaders insisted that any political alliance should serve the people’s interests rather than the ambitions of political elites. They warned that no coalition should “save a regime that goes against the constitutional lines of governance and protection of the rule of law.”

Highlighting persistent abductions, disappearances, and violations of civil liberties, the Youth Congress argued that the supposed partnership between KANU and the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) threatens the country’s democratic achievements.

“Our values and ideologies do not intertwine with the consistent abductions, enforced disappearances, human rights violations, corruption, and total disregard of the rule of law,” the statement declared. “No agreement can validate the undoings of this government to the citizenry.”

The youth wing also criticised the government’s handling of national challenges, particularly in health and education. They called on the administration to “upgrade the education system, make it affordable and available to all, uphold the rule of law, and end the archaic trend of abductions and enforced disappearances of government critics.”

Calling for immediate action over political posturing, the KANU Youth Congress said policies should focus on tangible improvements in citizens’ lives. “We call upon the government to stop the hypocrisy and solve the immediate needs of the people,” the statement said, adding: “We need the system to work. We need social services revived. We need a fair ground for employment for jobless youths. We need industrialisation prioritised over taxation.”

The statement urged young Kenyans to actively participate in shaping the nation’s future. “We urge you to get out in large numbers and register as voters. It is our sole responsibility to ensure we tackle ills in our governance system. Let our online, physical, and digital activism translate to a voice of change and progressive leadership.”

Concluding on a note of resilience and civic responsibility, the youth wing reaffirmed that government should prioritise the interests of the people. “Our stand remains that the government should work to serve the interests of the people. Together, we must protect the rule of law and build a just, inclusive society.”

The declaration highlights internal divisions within KANU, a party once dominant in Kenya’s political arena, and positions the youth wing as a vocal advocate for integrity, constitutionalism, and citizen-focused governance.

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