Why a Kenyan Party Chief Says President Ruto Broke a Deal
KENYA · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —What is happening On Friday, 23 October 2026, Kanu party chairman Gideon Moi said President William Ruto had not honoured a deal under which Moi quit the Baringo Senate race in October 2025.
- —Why it matters Moi’s public complaint shows strain in a one-year-old arrangement between the president and a former president’s son, as Kenya heads toward its 2027 general election.
- —The numbers Moi stepped aside before the Thursday, 27 November 2025 by-election, which Ruto’s party candidate, Kiprono Chemitei Cheburet, won with 55,246 votes.
- —Who is who Moi chairs the Kenya African National Union (Kanu) and is the son of late president Daniel arap Moi; Ruto is president, and his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) is the ruling party.
- —What to watch Whether Ruto or his government answers Moi, and what Moi decides next, since he is weighing his next political move.
- —What it means for you For US readers this is a Kenyan domestic story, with no sourced effect on policy, aid or travel, but it shows how alliances are being tested before 2027.
Kenyan party chief Gideon Moi says President William Ruto broke promises. They were made when Moi quit a Senate race last year.
The Gideon Moi Kanu Ruto political fallout became public on Friday, 23 October 2026. Citizen Digital and The Star say Moi told Kalenjin elders at Kabarak that he had waited for Ruto to deliver.
Moi chairs the Kenya African National Union (Kanu) and is a son of the late president Daniel arap Moi. Ruto is Kenya’s president, and neither outlet reports a reply from him to the new remarks.
In Plain English
- Kanu: the Kenya African National Union, a party that Gideon Moi chairs.
- UDA: the United Democratic Alliance, President Ruto’s party and the ruling party.
- By-election: a special vote to fill a seat that falls vacant between general elections.
- Senate seat: each Kenyan county elects one senator, and Baringo is a county in the Rift Valley.
- IEBC: the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Kenya’s election authority.
- Broad-based government: a memorandum between UDA and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), not a merger.
What Gideon Moi Said at Kabarak
The Star quotes Moi: “He told me, let us be patient, so I waited, waited and still waiting up to now.” Citizen Digital quotes him: “I asked for specific things for the people of Baringo that I had not accomplished.”
The Star also quotes him calling the matter “a pedestrian talk, sideshows which are not necessary” and adding, “Honour what you promised.” Citizen Digital says he asked the elders for forgiveness, saying, “I did what I did with a clean heart.”
Citizen Digital says Moi dates the souring of relations to the death of Raila Odinga. It adds that he is weighing his next political move, and neither report lists the commitments in Moi’s own words.
How the Baringo Deal Began
The Baringo Senate seat fell vacant when Senator William Cheptumo died on 16 February 2025, Citizen Digital reports. Cheptumo had beaten Moi for the seat in 2022.
Kanu nominated Moi, but on Thursday 9 October 2025 Citizen Digital cited secretary general George Wainaina saying it would field no candidate. The outlet added that reports indicated Moi and Ruto had met three times before the withdrawal.
The Standard shows Ruto received at Kabarak by Moi on Friday 10 October 2025. The Star says Moi then cited stalled road and water projects, and this week said he had trusted the president’s word.
The Star adds that Ruto later said he had personally asked Moi to step aside for the ruling party’s candidate. K24 Digital reported that Ruto called the decision “respectful and strategic.”
What Ruto Reportedly Promised
The Standard reports that Ruto promised in October 2025 to finish stalled Baringo roads and dams and build a stadium in Kabarnet. It says he also promised a university and a place for Kanu in government, and neither man is shown confirming the list.
Moi says he asked for projects for Baringo residents, not personal benefits, Citizen Digital reports. It adds that he accuses Ruto of leaving the Baringo projects unfinished.
Ruto’s party signed a memorandum with the ODM in March 2025 for what The Star calls a “broad-based government.” The Star adds that the pact with Moi is said to strengthen support in a region long pivotal to national elections.
The Row Over Newspaper Headlines
Citizen Digital says Ruto had earlier accused Moi of using Standard Group headlines to undermine his administration. Moi dismissed this as “pedestrian talk” and asked, “Do I look like a journalist, that I am writing the headlines at night?”
The Star says Moi rejected linking the group’s coverage to his relationship with the president, noting the company has other shareholders. The Star calls the group family-owned, and The Standard is also cited in this article.
The Gideon Moi Kanu Ruto Political Fallout Explained
The Kenya Gazette shows Chemitei of UDA won the Baringo seat on Thursday, 27 November 2025, with 55,246 votes. The IEBC gazetted the winners in early December 2025.
Titus Lotee, the Kacheliba MP, said on 29 October 2025 that Ruto wanted to spare Moi defeat by a young UDA candidate. K24 Digital carried that claim, and no one has independently confirmed it.
Moi is the youngest son of Daniel arap Moi, who died on Tuesday, 4 February 2020, Business Daily reports. The Star says Gideon Moi held the Baringo Senate seat from 2013 to 2022.
The Star says Rigathi Gachagua, Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua and Fred Matiang’i formed a United Opposition for 2027. Nothing in the reports read says which side Moi or Kanu will take.
What It Means for US Readers
This is a Kenyan domestic dispute, and the reports read describe no effect on US policy, markets, aid or travel. It matters as one sign of how alliances are shifting before the 2027 general election.
For wider context, see Kenya in 2026: Political Issues, Economy and the 2027 Vote. A related report covers falling US aid to Kenya, and the Kenya hub lists more.
What Is Not Known
The pieces read do not give Ruto’s own account of the promises, and they carry no reply from him to Moi. The Standard’s list of promises rests on its own reporting.
The Standard’s headline, “He has betrayed me,” does not appear in the quotes in its article text. This report therefore does not attribute those words to Moi.
It is not known what Moi will do next or whether Kanu will back Ruto in 2027. Lotee’s account of Ruto’s motive is his own claim.
What Comes Next
Watch for a response from State House or UDA, and for any statement from Kanu on its plans. A fuller account of the speech is in the news report on Moi and the Baringo by-election.
Moi has not said whether he will leave the arrangement with Ruto. Any such step would need to come from Moi or Kanu themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Gideon Moi?
He chairs the Kenya African National Union (Kanu) and is the youngest son of late president Daniel arap Moi. He held the Baringo Senate seat from 2013 to 2022.
What does Gideon Moi say Ruto did?
Moi says Ruto asked him to wait on promised projects for Baringo and has not delivered. He told Kalenjin elders on 23 October 2026, “Honour what you promised.”
Why did Moi leave the Baringo Senate race?
Citizen Digital reported on 9 October 2025 that Kanu would field no candidate after Moi’s talks with Ruto. Moi cited stalled road and water projects.
Who won the Baringo Senate by-election?
Kiprono Chemitei Cheburet of UDA won on 27 November 2025 with 55,246 votes, according to the Kenya Gazette. The seat had been vacant since Senator William Cheptumo died in February 2025.
Has Ruto responded to Moi?
The reports read carry no reply from Ruto to the 23 October remarks. Ruto earlier said publicly that he had personally asked Moi to step aside.
Sources: The Star; Citizen Digital; The Standard; Citizen Digital, 9 October 2025; K24 Digital; Kenya Gazette special issue, IEBC; The Star, 29 December 2025; Business Daily; The Star, 7 October 2025 (all accessed 24 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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