By Mosses Kinyanjui, NAIROBI Kenya
The Linda Mwananchi political brigade in Kenya has raised concerns over President William Ruto’s visit to Tanzania, saying it lacks a reciprocal benefit to Kenyans.
According to the faction, President Ruto is visiting a nation that has been flagged for its questionable democratic integrity since the human rights violations witnessed during its national elections in 2025.
They argue that President Ruto should not address the Tanzanian parliament, lest he risk drawing a perception that Kenya supports a regime that does not uphold the principles of democracy.
“By addressing the Tanzanian parliament, Ruto is attempting to place Kenya's stamp of legitimacy on a fraudulent regime and electoral process,” read a statement in part.
“In such a context, a high-profile presidential address risks being interpreted as an endorsement of contested processes and a troubling departure from Kenya's longstanding commitment to democratic values.”
The faction added that Tanzanian legislators openly mocked Kenyan activists who were brutalised in Tanzania, arguing that President Ruto’s visit comes at a crucially bad timing.
“We can confidently state that the threshold of democracy and fairness was not met, especially given that opposition representatives had been placed behind bars,” the faction added.
Linda Mwananchi now demands that the main objective of the visit be made public citing that President Ruto should instead focus on improving the livelihoods of Kenyans.
“Kenyans deserve clarity on what tangible benefits this engagement brings to the nation, and why it should take precedence over addressing unemployment, the high cost of living, and the erosion of public trust in governance,” the party noted.
“The country's moral standing in the region must supersede Ruto's flawed or non-existent geopolitical strategies.”
President Ruto is expected to address the Tanzanian parliamentary during his visit.
In November 2025, President Ruto opted to remain reserved on the controversial election conducted in Tanzania that led to the re-election of President Samia Suluhu amid deadly protests.
Speaking to Al Jazeera at the sidelines of the United Nations Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD2) in Qatar, President Ruto said that neither will he elucidate much on the disputed election nor will he indulge in the political affairs of Tanzania.
He nevertheless opined that if democracy was upheld, Samia's landslide victory would not have occurred.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared on November 1 that Samia won with 97.66% of the votes after garnering 31,913,866 votes out of the 32,678,844 cast votes.
Tanzania’s elections were marred by cases of vote rigging and use of police assault against voters, raising concerns from the African Union Election Observer Mission who noted that the election did not comply with AU principles and other international obligations and standards.
There were reports of internet shutdowns, politically motivated abductions, and mass killings.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the reported violence, calling for accountability over the reported incidents of violence, urging authorities to ensure impartial investigations.
Linda Mwananchi now holds that Kenya's leadership must be anchored in accountability to the welfare of Kenyans and citizens of the EAC regional bloc.
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