Sifuna accused the President of using political attacks instead of focusing on real issues affecting Kenyans.
President Ruto made the comments on Thursday, December 18, 2025, while presiding over the handover of Affordable Housing units at Mukuru Kwa Njenga estate in Nairobi.
During the event, the President revived his criticism of Kalonzo, questioning his leadership record after more than 40 years in government service.
Ruto claimed that Kalonzo lacked vision and linked him to what he described as poor roads and weak infrastructure in his home area of Kitui.
The President argued that if Kalonzo could not transform his own village despite serving as Vice President and holding other senior government positions, then he could not be trusted to lead Kenya to greater heights.
The Head of State further tied his remarks to the government’s renewed “Singapore dream,” where he says his administration is working day and night to move Kenya from a third-world country to a first-world economy through major investments in infrastructure.
Ruto suggested that strong leadership and bold decisions were needed to achieve this vision.
In response, Senator Sifuna dismissed the President’s comments as unfair and misleading.
He said development in Kenya is a collective responsibility of governments, not individual leaders acting alone.
Sifuna argued that it was dishonest to blame Kalonzo for challenges that span decades and involve many administrations.
The ODM Secretary General noted that Kalonzo has served Kenya with discipline and integrity, and that many infrastructure projects across the country were achieved through teamwork in previous governments.
He accused the President of using public events to settle political scores instead of addressing pressing issues such as the high cost of living and unemployment.
Sifuna also warned against rewriting history to score political points.
He said leaders should respect one another and engage in issue-based politics that offer solutions to citizens rather than personal attacks.
According to him, Kenyans are more interested in results than blame games.