At Nairobi's National Prayer Breakfast, President Uhuru Kenyatta's solitary seating at the VIP table highlighted escalating political tensions. For the first time since 2013, he shared the space only with Chief Justice Martha Koome and Attorney-General Kihara Kariuki, while Deputy President William Ruto and parliamentary leaders occupied a separate table.
The event, marking Kenyatta's 10th anniversary in office, traditionally featured representation from all three government branches. This year's arrangement reflected deepening rifts between Kenyatta's Azimio coalition and Ruto's Kenya Kwanza Alliance, which gained traction through grassroots economic messaging. The shift underscored Kenyatta's growing political marginalization.
Kenyatta's infrastructure legacy faces scrutiny as the Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta International Airport expressway exceeds its initial Sh67 billion budget. Now surpassing Sh96 billion, the project has drawn criticism for its cost per kilometer and association with broader economic challenges, including a Sh6 trillion debt increase over five years.
Political miscalculations have accelerated Kenyatta's isolation. Despite efforts to consolidate power, figures like Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang'ula defected to Ruto's camp, while Jubilee Party splintered. The 2018 Handshake with Raila Odinga failed to secure lasting alliances, and constitutional reforms faced judicial pushback, further eroding Kenyatta's political capital. In 2017, Jubilee, once a dominant ruling party, saw its influence wane as internal conflicts and external pressures took hold.
