PPK leader Ndindi Nyoro addressing Rongai residents in Kajiado county on October 25, 2026/ ALICE WAITHERA

Opposition leaders have said Kenyans are facing more challenges under President William Ruto’s administration, calling for a change in leadership ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Speaking during a rally in Rongai, Kajiado County, on Sunday, Kiharu MP and People’s Party of Kenya (PPK) leader Ndindi Nyoro and former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i accused the government of failing to address challenges in education, the economy and security.

Nyoro faulted the government over what he termed inadequate school capitation and the ongoing university lecturers’ strike, saying the problems reflected its failure to meet its obligations.

In August, the government disbursed Sh18.51 billion across primary, junior, and secondary school levels, with public secondary schools receiving an allocation of Sh10.96 billion, translating to about Sh4,449 per student for the term.

The disbursement brought the total annual funding per secondary student to only about Sh16,450, leaving school heads facing a deficit of nearly Sh5,800 against the statutory Sh22,244 official yearly requirement.

“Education has been messed up, the economy has been messed up, security has deteriorated, and employment remains a problem. Everything has gone wrong,” Nyoro said, calling on Ruto to leave office.

Matiang’i echoed the criticism, saying the country needed a change in leadership to address the challenges facing Kenyans.

He cited the ongoing university lecturers’ strike, warning that students in public universities risked failing to graduate this year because their lecturers had not been paid.

“Learners in our public universities may fail to graduate this year because lecturers have not been paid. They have not taught for a huge part of the semester and have not completed their work,” he said.

The former CS who previously served as Education Cabinet Secretary criticised the government over the disruption of learning, saying it was affecting students’ futures.

Matiang'i, who is the Jubilee Party leader, declared his readiness to take up the responsibility of leadership, pledging to transform the country.

The opposition leaders also accused Ruto of prioritising political activities over addressing the challenges facing ordinary Kenyans.

Matiang’i criticised the use of public resources to transport supporters to political rallies, saying the money could instead be directed towards improving service delivery.

He urged the government to focus on addressing the country’s problems rather than engaging in what he termed political theatrics and public relations exercises.

“We are now ready to organise the country and get the work done because our nation is facing serious challenges,” he said.

Matiang'i also cautioned Kenyans to be wary of political leaders keen on spreading communal divisions, underscoring the need for peaceful political contest ahead of the 2027 elections.

“We must conduct our politics with love, respect and peace. We must not allow anyone to incite our people by talking about one tribe against another. We are Kenyans, and we want one united Kenya,” he said.