Ruto Fires Back at Kalonzo After Wiper Leader Says President Looks Older, Revives “Mr 40” Nickname

President William Ruto has hit back at Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka after the former vice president questioned why the President appears older despite the two having a significant age difference.

Speaking in Mombasa County on Friday, October 2, Ruto dismissed the comparison, arguing that leadership should be judged by performance rather than physical appearance.

The President also revived his nickname for Kalonzo, referring to him as “Mr 40” in a reference to the Wiper leader’s long political career.

“I have had one of them saying that he is good-looking, and that he looks young. Stop the issue of looks. I hear him comparing me and him based on who looks older.”

Ruto then turned the discussion toward leadership records, challenging Kenyans to focus on what politicians have accomplished rather than their appearance.

“Leadership is not about looks; it is about working for the people. Tell Mr 40 whether you consider looks or track records when electing leaders,” Ruto stated.

Kalonzo had earlier joked about the difference in their appearance while responding to Ruto’s repeated questions about what he had achieved during his four decades in politics.

The Wiper leader said he entered politics at a relatively young age and suggested this had helped him maintain his youthful appearance.

“Ruto keeps on asking what I have done in the 40 years I have had in leadership. First of all, I became a leader when I was the age of the current Gen Zs. I don’t age fast because I began early. When you look at Ruto and me, who looks old?” Kalonzo posed.

The exchange adds another episode to the increasingly public political sparring between the two leaders.

Kalonzo has maintained his opposition position, with Wiper recently saying it has “no dealings, no understanding, and no intention of working with Ruto” ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Ruto’s remarks came as he also continued his verbal exchange with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna over the proposed Dangote refinery project in Lamu.

Sifuna has demanded that the agreement underpinning the project be made public, arguing that Kenyans and Parliament should have access to contractual details concerning major public-interest projects.

Ruto has accused Sifuna of pursuing the documents for ulterior purposes and challenged him to use the established procedures for obtaining government records.

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