Former President Uhuru Kenyatta embraced the Sponsor moniker during a Murang’a burial on Friday, September 18, warning that political speech has grown dangerous. The light-hearted remark came amid renewed attacks from President William Ruto, who accuses his predecessor of funding opposition activities and breaking past political agreements.
Embracing the Sponsor Tag in Murang’a
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta leaned directly into political branding during a burial ceremony in Gikuu, Kiharu Sub-County, on Friday, September 18. Addressing mourners during the funeral of Christine Waruguru—the mother of his former State House Deputy Comptroller, George Kariuki—the retired president delivered a sharp yet light-hearted nod to his critics.
Mr Kenyatta was speaking in Murang’a County during the burial ceremony of Christine Waruguru, who was the mother of Mr Kenyatta’s former State House Deputy Comptroller, George Kariuki. He was accompanied by his Jubilee Party’s Deputy Party Leader and presidential aspirant, Dr Fred Matiang’i, and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro. In the recent past, President Ruto has consistently and publicly claimed that Mr Kenyatta is the sole sponsor of the opposition, at one point even calling him a rebel leader. Dr Ruto has even christened the Nairobi Senator-led opposition wing of Linda Mwananchi as Linda Uhuru Kenyatta.
During the Murang’a event, Mr Kenyatta had initially delivered an off-the-cuff speech before abruptly checking himself, noting that it has become dangerous for him to speak his thoughts publicly. It has become dangerous for me to speak off the cuff… lest the media misinterprets me, let me stick to my written condolences,
he said. After concluding the reading of his statement, he signed off with an off-the-cuff remark, stating, that is all from sponyo,
sending the audience into fits of laughter.
Speaking on Friday, September 18, during a burial ceremony in Gikuu, Kiharu Sub-County, Uhuru said he had decided to limit his spontaneous remarks to avoid having his words misinterpreted. In his speech, Uhuru also appeared to mock the ‘sponsor’ label repeatedly used by President William Ruto and his allies to criticise him. And usually I speak off-cuff, and these days life is becoming too dangerous for me. So I have decided before the media goes to misinterpret my words. Thanks so much, that is all from the sponsor,
Uhuru said.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has embraced the “Sponyo” nickname recently used by President William Ruto to refer to him. Speaking during a burial ceremony in Murang’a on Friday, Uhuru appeared to acknowledge the nickname in a light-hearted message, ending his remarks with the phrase, Ni hayo machache kutoka Sponyo,
signalling his acceptance of the moniker. The nickname has emerged in recent political exchanges involving the former President and Ruto, adding a lighter dimension to their public interactions.
Escalating Accusations and Broken Pacts
The lighthearted sign-off sits against a backdrop of intensifying political hostility. President Ruto renewed his attacks on his predecessor during a rally in Sindo, Homa Bay County, on Thursday, September 17, where he accused Uhuru of sponsoring opposition figures including Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna. They are clueless because they have only been sent by their sponsor, who is bitter seeing us succeed where he failed. We have fixed the economy he destroyed,
Ruto said.
The President also revisited his political relationship with Uhuru, claiming that he had supported the former President in four election campaigns and expected Uhuru to return the favour when he sought the presidency. As I stand here in Sindo, Homa Bay County, I want to urge the former President Uhuru Kenyatta. I was there for you when you needed someone to stand with you in four elections,
Ruto said. I stood with you, helped you, and worked for you. When time came for you to help me, you did not go as we had agreed. We had agreed 10 for you and 10 for me, but you did not keep the promise.
Ruto was referring to an alleged political arrangement under which the two would support each other’s presidential ambitions, with each serving two terms. The President, however, said he did not fault his predecessor for choosing not to support him, arguing that Uhuru had a democratic right to make his own political decision.
Uhuru and Ruto worked together for two terms after being elected on the Jubilee Party ticket in the 2013 and 2017 General Elections, before their political relationship deteriorated during Ruto’s tenure as Deputy President. Ruto later defeated Uhuru’s preferred successor, Raila Odinga, in the 2022 presidential election and assumed the presidency.
Political Realignment in Mt. Kenya
It was the first time Mr Kenyatta was sharing a podium with Mr Nyoro since their ugly political fallout in 2018. At that time, the president was setting the stage to support Mr Raila Odinga to succeed him in the 2022 General Election, while the Kiharu MP was rooting for Dr Ruto, who was then the Deputy President. Mr Nyoro was elected in 2017 on a Jubilee ticket as a close ally of President Kenyatta. In 2018, at the wedding of then-Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata (now governor), Mr Kenyatta told young leaders, including Mr Nyoro, to settle down and build families. Soon after, the two commenced a bitter fallout that resulted in Mr Nyoro’s arrest for political dissent, after which he hit back through volatile missiles on the campaign trail.
Political pundits had focused on the event to get a clearer indication of Mr Kenyatta’s next move since he endorsed Dr Matiang’i on November 7, 2025, in Murang’a as his preferred 2027 presidential candidate. The event had been made juicier by the presence of Mr Nyoro, who has since packaged himself as a Dr Matiang’i enthusiast, amid live political gossip that the two intend to partner on a joint ticket for the 2027 presidential race. But the three avoided making any concrete political commitments to the audience.
Mr Kenyatta only observed that the country has a notoriety for not honouring its heroes. He noted that the most discriminated against heroes are women and the youth. Dr Matiang’i lamented that there were national leaders who were going around hurling insults, lying to the people and saying a lot of things that do not make sense. He said that such leaders were living testimony of how they grew up with bad manners.
Mr Nyoro pampered Mr Kenyatta with praise, attributing some of the development projects in Kiharu to the leadership and inspiration of the former President. Some of the roads you see in Kiharu are a result of your good leadership, my boss,
he said. Mr Nyoro also hinted that Mr Kenyatta might be his political mentor in his current endeavours when he noted, I am appreciative that you have given us good advice when we have reached out to you.
Mr Nyoro urged the nation to understand his current political stance, saying he is at the same crossroads that Mr Kenyatta faced during the 2002 General Election, as well as Mr Mwai Kibaki’s moment in 1992. During the Kibaki moment, Mr Kibaki contested the presidency against the popular pulse in Mt Kenya, which then held that Mr Kenneth Matiba