President William Ruto has introduced a new rallying call for the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA), "Usawa ni Sawa – Mbele Pamoja", loosely rendered as "Equality is fair – Forward together", as he reshapes his campaign message ahead of the 2027 General Election. The slogan has featured prominently this week during the President's tour of the North Rift, where he has been commissioning development projects in Nandi, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet and Baringo counties.

The phrase marks a clear departure from the "Hustler Nation" narrative that defined the 2022 campaign, which cast the contest as one between ordinary, struggling Kenyans and powerful political families. According to The Standard, the new slogan was first aired at a rally in Bondo town, Siaya County, last week.

Call-and-response on the campaign trail

The Daily Nation reported that in Kapyego and Chebara, Elgeyo Marakwet County, on Tuesday, the President led UDA supporters in a call-and-response chant that appeared designed to establish the phrase as the party's new identity. "When I say UDA, you reply, 'Usawa ni Sawa'. When I say 'Usawa ni Sawa', you reply, 'Mbele Pamoja'," he told the crowd, according to the paper. Supporters at an earlier stopover in Kaptumo, Nandi County, were seen wearing UDA-branded caps and T-shirts carrying the slogan.

The President has paired the new message with a robust defence of his administration's record, citing spending on roads, electricity connections, affordable housing, health and education as evidence that development is reaching all regions. Speaking in Kinyach, Baringo North, he challenged opposition leaders working to unite against him to present a clear agenda, saying that "tribal arithmetic" alone would not deliver victory, the Nation reported. He also appealed openly for an additional one million votes from the region and urged residents to acquire identity cards and register as voters.

From hustlers to the marginalised

Analysts quoted by the Nation say the shift broadens rather than abandons Dr Ruto's earlier populism, moving the emphasis from the economic gap between ordinary citizens and political dynasties to questions of regional inequality, historical exclusion and fair access to public resources. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has publicly defended the new emphasis on equity, telling supporters, according to the Nation, that the government would bring together "a coalition of the marginalised" stretching from Nyanza and Western to pastoralist communities and the Coast. Mr Duale cited Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1965 and post-independence land settlement schemes as examples of past policies he said had left some communities behind.

Mwakilishi noted that the change in tone follows the President's broad-based arrangement with the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and that his recent speeches have stressed cooperation and inclusive government in an effort to reach a wider pool of voters.

A message that must be proven

Commentators have cautioned that a catchy slogan will not on its own win an election. Political commentator James Wambua told Mwakilishi that the impact of "Usawa ni Sawa" would depend on whether voters saw real evidence of the equality it promises. Political analyst Geoffrey Mbona told the Nation that the President's task was to show that the language of equality was reflected in public spending, infrastructure, jobs and household incomes.

The challenge is sharpened by the fact that, unlike in 2022, Dr Ruto will go into the next election defending a four-year record in office, amid public concern over taxation and the cost of living. He also faces an opposition that has popularised its own phrases, among them "Wantam", as the battle over political messaging gathers pace ahead of the 2027 polls.

Photo: President William Ruto addresses supporters during his tour of Elgeyo Marakwet County on 13 October 2026. (Nation Media Group)