For a few seconds, Sotik MP Francis Sigei appeared to deliver the kind of political message President William Ruto would least want to hear from one of his allies.
Sigei was addressing Ruto during his tour of Bomet County when he unexpectedly uttered the words “one term”, triggering laughter and reactions from the crowd before he quickly moved on with his speech.
The MP was welcoming Ruto during the commissioning of the Chebole-Kiplokyi-Kapkoros Road in Sotik Constituency, where he praised the President for visiting the region and highlighted the importance of the government projects being undertaken in the area.
“Your Excellency, you are highly welcome. We are saying you have arrived home. I want to tell you, Your Excellency, we have really been waiting for you,” Sigei said.
He then appeared to stumble over his words.
“That is why we say you are welcome and that is why we say one term... secondly,” he said, before continuing with his address.
The remark immediately attracted attention because “one term” has become a prominent slogan among Ruto’s political opponents ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Ruto has repeatedly criticised politicians campaigning around the idea of removing him after his first term, arguing that his opponents should present Kenyans with an alternative political agenda rather than focusing on his presidency.
During the same South Rift tour, the President took aim at the opposition’s messaging while speaking at Kapkatet Grounds in Kericho.
“Their agenda is one-term and Kasongo. They should find an agenda. William Ruto cannot be their agenda,” Ruto said.
Sigei, however, moved swiftly to explain his own controversial remark, insisting that he had not intended to suggest that Ruto should serve only one term.
The Sotik MP attributed the incident to excitement after the President arrived in his constituency, saying his words came out differently from what he intended.
“We had traversed various areas. I arrived late at the meeting when the event had already started, and there was too much excitement on my part that my tongue slipped,” Sigei explained.
He further apologised to the President and sought to reassure him that he remained supportive of his re-election bid.
“On behalf of the people of Sotik, I want to tell the President to forgive me for the slip of the tongue,” Sigei said.
The explanation came shortly after the incident, as the MP sought to distance himself from any suggestion that he was endorsing the opposition’s “one-term” campaign.
The unusual exchange nevertheless became one of the memorable moments of Ruto’s South Rift tour, highlighting how a few unscripted words can quickly take on political significance during a charged campaign period.