President William Ruto’s Senior Advisor in the Council of Economic Advisors, based at State House, Moses Kuria, has likened the forthcoming 2027 presidential election to Kenya’s historic multi-party elections of 1992 and 1997.

Kuria suggested that just as years have passed, Kenya’s politics are still very much the same, especially when it comes to backroom manoeuvres and struggles for power.

In a post on his official X handle on the night of Monday, May 5, 2025, Kuria said the 2027 election will be a repeat of the same political dramas and outcomes as those of 1992 and 1997, and he took part in both actively.

“The more things change, the more they remain the same. The 2027 presidential election will have the same intrigues and outcomes as both the 1992 and 1997 presidential elections. I was in the heart of both, so I know,” Kuria stated.

He further promised to delve into the comparisons and what they mean for Kenya’s future politics during his next media engagement.

“I will explain further in my upcoming TV interview,” he added.

Kuria’s remarks are expected to add to political heat, especially as the country draws nearer to another election cycle.

Kuria on 2027 presidential hopeful

This is not the first time Kuria has weighed in on the 2027 presidential election. In May 2025, he laid bare the daunting fiscal challenges awaiting the country’s next president.

Taking to his official X account, the former Public Service Cabinet Secretary said he sometimes wonders whether Kenya’s presidential hopefuls know what they would be getting into when they declare their ambitions.

“Sometimes I wonder whether people who want to be President of Kenya know what they would be getting into. Looking closely at budget estimates for 2025-2026, picture this: Ksh1.3 trillion out of Ksh4.2 trillion will go to payment and servicing of debts as well as pensions. This is not negotiable, and we can never default on that. The price to pay for our thoughtless expansionism in the past,” Kuria’s statement read in part.

He went ahead to explain that another staggering Ksh1.7 trillion goes to financing recurrent expenditure of the national government, with Ksh680 billion of the said amount taking up salaries of the civil service.

“Another Ksh1.7 trillion will go to finance recurrent expenditure of the national government. Of which Ksh 680 billion is for salaries for our bloated and inefficient civil service, which you can not reform because jobless Kenyans will go to the streets to defend the civil servants who continue to eat everything at the expense of the rest of Kenyans,” he stated.

Kuria’s analysis of the 2025-2026 budget estimates paints a grim picture of Kenya’s financial landscape, where a staggering 93.1% of the Ksh 4.2 trillion budget is locked into non-negotiable expenses, leaving little room for meaningful development or policy innovation.

The more things change, the more they remain the same. The 2027 Presidential election will have the same intrigues and outcomes as both the 1992 and 1997 Presidential Elections. I was in the heart of both so I know. I will explain more in my next TV interview

— Hon.Moses Kuria,HSC (@HonMoses_Kuria) May 5, 2025