Nyaribari Chache MP Zaheer Jhanda has dismissed former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s criticism of President William Ruto, saying attempts to undermine the current administration are futile.

Jhanda is one of the ardent supporters of President Ruto, a first-term MP who defied the political wave to win his seat in an area that the Azimio La Umoja coalition enjoyed significant support.

In a statement on Sunday on his Facebook, Jhanda said Uhuru and ODM leader Raila Odinga had previously failed to stop Ruto from clinching the presidency, even with what he termed as the “Deep State.”

“President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM Leader Raila Odinga, even with the ‘Deep State,’ they couldn’t stop President William Ruto. To think they can oust an incumbent now, separately or together, is pure fantasy, wild dreams,” Jhanda stated.

His comments came a day after Kenyatta used the Jubilee Party National Delegates Conference (NDC) at Ngong Racecourse to take a swipe at Ruto, accusing him of being intolerant of dissenting voices.

The former Head of State criticised what he described as the government’s heavy-handed response to the recent Gen Z protests, saying true leadership requires dialogue, inclusivity, and openness to criticism.

“This requires always having an open mind and a listening ear, even to those you disagree with—and especially to the voices of our younger generations,” Kenyatta said.

He argued that leaders must learn from past mistakes to build a hopeful and peaceful nation, instead of deepening class politics between the “haves” and “have-nots.”

Kenyatta also lamented what he termed the reversal of gains made during his administration, pointing to the collapse of programmes such as Linda Mama, which he said had been replaced by untested policies.

Uhuru and Ruto were political allies in the 2013 and 2017 elections but fell out ahead of the 2022 polls, with the former president endorsing Raila Odinga for the top seat.