Vijana na Ruto Demands Parliamentary Action Over Alleged Insult to Presidency.

Vijana na Ruto Demands Parliamentary Action Over Alleged Insult to Presidency.

Vijana na Ruto National Chairperson Isaack Ntharagwe addresses the media in Nairobi, calling for parliamentary action over alleged remarks directed at President William Ruto and urging political leaders to uphold decorum, accountability and respect for national institutions.

By Jeff Oyugi 

Nairobi - August 17, 2026

The youth-led political movement Vijana na Ruto has called on the National Assembly to investigate remarks allegedly made by Starehe Member of Parliament Amos Mwago, in which he is reported to have referred to President William Ruto as “taka-taka” during a political engagement in Nakuru last week.

The movement’s National Chairperson, Isaack Ntharagwe, said political differences and criticism of government policies were legitimate in a democratic society, but maintained that elected leaders were expected to uphold decorum when addressing the Head of State and national institutions.

Ntharagwe urged National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah to take up the matter formally and establish whether the remarks attributed to Mwago were accurately reported.

“We wish to state plainly, political criticism is legitimate and protected. Personal insults directed at the institution of the presidency are not,” Ntharagwe said.

He called for Mwago to be given an opportunity to clarify the alleged remarks on the floor of the House. Should the claims be confirmed, he said, the MP should issue a public apology to the President and the nation before being admitted to parliamentary proceedings.

The group argued that parliamentary privilege and political competition should not be interpreted as a licence for elected representatives to undermine the dignity of national institutions.

Ntharagwe said the call was not intended to suppress political dissent, but to safeguard standards of conduct within the country’s highest legislative institution.

“We do not take this matter lightly. Silence in the face of such conduct sets a precedent that erodes the respect owed to the highest office in the land, regardless of who occupies it today or in the future,” he said.

The statement comes amid heightened political activity as parties and political formations begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election, with disagreements within and between political parties increasingly playing out in public forums.

Addressing young Kenyans, Vijana na Ruto Secretariat member Tinega Bryan urged the youth to remain organised, informed and focused on what he described as the government’s development agenda.

Bryan said young people, who constitute a significant proportion of Kenya’s population, should demand accountability from political leaders regardless of their party affiliation, region or political standing.

“We call upon you to reject political opportunism dressed up as principle and to see through leaders who abandon those who stood by them the moment it becomes politically convenient,” he said.

He added that the movement would subject itself, the ruling party and other leaders claiming to represent young people to the same standards of accountability it was demanding from political opponents.

Meanwhile, another member of the movement’s secretariat, Yasin Buire, criticised what he described as actions by Gatundu South MP Gabriel Gathuka Kagombe that demonstrated disrespect for the Office of the President.

Buire referred to an incident in which the MP allegedly removed a portrait of President Ruto from his office, arguing that the portrait represented a public institution and was funded through taxpayers’ resources.

He further criticised Kagombe over his reported political shift away from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), saying the movement had no objection to politicians changing political affiliations but would judge them by their record in office.

Buire accused the MP of failing his constituents and predicted that voters would determine his political fate in the 2027 elections.

His remarks also extended criticism to other politicians who have recently moved from UDA to opposition political formations, warning that political defections would attract scrutiny from voters.

The movement, however, sought to distinguish its criticism of political leaders from its position on political violence.

Secretariat member Karen Gatimu addressed reports of unrest in Homa Bay County, condemning political violence regardless of which political side is implicated.

Gatimu said the movement had received allegations linking individuals associated with an opposition political formation to the unrest, but stressed that such claims should be subjected to proper investigation rather than treated as established facts.

“We place on record our firm condemnation of political violence in all its forms, regardless of which side of the political divide,” she said.

She called on the National Police Service and other relevant security agencies to conduct thorough, impartial investigations into the Homa Bay incidents and ensure that anyone found responsible is held accountable in accordance with the law.

The contrasting appeals for political loyalty, institutional respect and impartial accountability highlight the increasingly charged political environment ahead of the 2027 elections.

Vijana na Ruto said it remained committed to what it described as a disciplined, united and accountable political movement, insisting that respect for national institutions, including the presidency, remained non-negotiable.

The group also urged parliamentary and party organs to consider its requests and act on the issues raised, while calling on political leaders to exercise restraint and responsibility in their public engagements.