Old tactics Ruto is reviving to win back Kenyans

President William Ruto has intensified a series of high-profile meetings and empowerment events at State House, Nairobi. 

President Ruto seems to be echoing the strategy he deployed as deputy president when he regularly hosted political, religious and grassroots groups at his Karen residence while presiding over donation-driven “empowerment” ceremonies. 

On Wednesday, August 27, he met grassroots leaders from Kiambu County at State House, flanked by senior Kenya Kwanza figures, and pledged progress on health, housing and market projects in the county. 

The forum came less than a fortnight after similar engagements with delegations from Kisii and Nyamira. 

Earlier this month, State House staged a mass empowerment drive for Nairobi residents, where groups drawn from all 17 constituencies received tools of trade ranging from tents and public-address systems to sewing machines, ovens and car-wash units.

The event was described by the president as job-creation support for more than 1,100 youth and women groups and reportedly cost Sh500 million.

That State House choreography strongly mirrors Dr Ruto’s earlier playbook as deputy president.

In 2019–2021, he routinely hosted delegations at his Karen residence and presided over empowerment events where items such as wheelbarrows, water tanks, sewing machines and other start-up kits were handed to groups. 

Many of his critics branded these programs as transactional, but his allies argued that Ruto was supporting hustlers. 

The renewed outreach comes after a bruising year for the president. Youth-led protests over taxes and policing in 2024 forced Ruto to sack most of his cabinet and promise a “broad-based” government.

Although he later re-filled many posts, demonstrations and periodic unrest persisted into 2025, keeping the administration on the defensive. 

Independent reporting this year has also highlighted continued public dissatisfaction, particularly among younger Kenyans.

In July, Reuters noted analysts’ warnings that Ruto needs both delivery on economic promises and a more conciliatory tone to be competitive in 2027, quoting Verisk Maplecroft and Oxford Economics on investor concerns and the drag from alleged police abuses.

Political commentator Javas Bigambo cautioned that many young people view the government as “blind, deaf and dumb,” a perception the State House outreach is presumably designed to counter. 

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AP News likewise reported that the president faces “a low level of public confidence,” citing University of Nairobi scholar Karuti Kanyinga, and traced the unrest to perceived broken promises, heavy-handed policing and unpopular tax measures. 

At State House on August 27, Ruto used the Kiambu forum to double down on flagship reforms, insisting the Social Health Authority “must work” and touting digital audits to weed out fraudulent claims

Analysts are split on whether retail-style outreach and empowerment optics can reverse the president’s slide. 

The consensus from recent international coverage is that social spending and job-creation signals may help on the margins, but a durable rebound likely requires easing cost-of-living pressures, rebuilding trust after protest crackdowns and projecting humility in tone.

As Reuters summarised, delivery plus conciliation is essential; symbolism alone is unlikely to neutralise “one-term” sentiment among Gen Z.