President William Ruto’s four-day development tour of the South Rift may have been designed to showcase government projects and rally residents behind his development agenda, but in Bomet, politics inevitably took centre stage.
And perhaps no politician benefited more from the political theatre than former Bomet governor Isaac Ruto.
From Kapkwen to Bomet town and Tegat, Isaac Ruto’s reception offered one of the clearest signs yet that the former governor may still have a political constituency in a county where the 2027 gubernatorial contest is already beginning to take shape.
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At Kapkwen, residents openly demanded that Isaac Ruto be given an opportunity to address them. He eventually became the only politician allowed to speak to the crowd at the stop, an unusual moment during a presidential development tour and one that carried considerable political symbolism.
The reception was equally warm at Bomet town and Tegat.
For a politician who has spent years away from the county’s top political office, such scenes cannot simply be dismissed as the excitement that normally accompanies a presidential visit.
They raise a bigger question: Has Isaac Ruto regained enough political ground to become a serious force in the 2027 Bomet gubernatorial race?
The 2022 defeat still hangs over the race
Isaac Ruto is not a new face in Bomet politics.
He served as the county’s first governor and built a political identity that extended beyond the county, including his stint as a national political figure and his involvement in the formation of the Chama Cha Mashinani party.
But his political fortunes suffered a major setback in the 2017 and 2022 gubernatorial elections.
He lost the contest in 2017 to the late Dr Joyce Laboso and then to Hillary Barchok in 2022, who had the backing of then Deputy President William Ruto.
Barchok’s victory appeared to reinforce the strength of the Kenya Kwanza/UDA political machinery in a county where William Ruto enjoyed considerable support.
Four years later, however, the political environment has changed.
Isaac Ruto is no longer simply the former governor trying to reclaim an office he lost.
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He now appears to be positioning himself in a crowded contest in which the question will not only be who has the strongest political machinery, but also who can build a coalition broad enough to unite different interests across Bomet.
Ruto and Isaac Ruto: From political rivals to ‘agemates’
Perhaps the most politically significant moment came when President Ruto himself acknowledged Isaac Ruto during the rally.
Ruto described himself and the former governor as political “agemates” who are now working together and portraying themselves as leaders showing the way for younger politicians.
The remarks were notable given the political history between the two men.
For years, William Ruto and Isaac Ruto occupied different sides of Kenya’s political battlefield. Their political paths diverged sharply, particularly as William Ruto consolidated his influence in the Rift Valley and Isaac Ruto pursued his own political vehicle.
Today, the two are appearing on the same political platform.
That does not automatically mean that President Ruto has endorsed Isaac Ruto for the Bomet governorship.
But politically, the optics matter.
A former governor receiving a warm reception in the presence of the sitting President, while the President publicly speaks positively about their working relationship, gives Isaac Ruto an opportunity to reposition himself before the electorate.
The crowd may have sent an early warning
Politics is ultimately about numbers, organisation and the ability to convert public enthusiasm into votes.
A large or enthusiastic crowd does not necessarily translate into electoral victory.
But political crowds can also provide important clues.
The response Isaac Ruto received in Bomet suggests that his name has not disappeared from the political consciousness of residents.
The Kapkwen incident was particularly revealing.
Residents themselves demanded that he be given a chance to speak, turning what could have been another routine presidential stop into a moment centred around the former governor.
For Isaac Ruto, that is politically valuable.
It allows him to send a message to potential supporters, rivals and political brokers that his 2022 defeat did not completely erase his influence.
A crowded race is taking shape
Isaac Ruto, however, is not operating in a political vacuum.
The 2027 Bomet gubernatorial race is expected to attract several prominent names, among them Michael Bungei and Christopher Lang’at, among other potential contenders.
Each will be looking to build a political coalition capable of taking on the incumbent and navigating the complex political dynamics of the county.
For Isaac Ruto, the challenge will be converting the goodwill witnessed during President Ruto’s tour into a sustained grassroots campaign.
He will have to demonstrate that the reception was not simply a product of his appearance alongside the President.
That means rebuilding networks at the ward and constituency levels, reconnecting with voters and convincing residents that he has a compelling vision for Bomet’s next chapter.
And if the mood witnessed in Kapkwen, Bomet town and Tegat can be sustained beyond presidential rallies, the 2027 gubernatorial race could become considerably more unpredictable.
