The sharp exchange has reignited questions about political loyalties, changing alliances and whether statements made nearly a decade ago should be used to judge politicians and political strategists today.
Alai questioned Njoroge’s involvement in Raila’s political affairs, claiming she had been working on behalf of Uhuru.
“On behalf of Uhuru, she was sent to spy on Baba Raila’s AU campaigns,” Alai said.
In another post, the Kileleshwa MCA appeared to challenge Njoroge’s claim of supporting Raila’s political aspirations.
“She claims to carry the aspirations of Raila. Haki this country.”
The accusations prompted a detailed response from Njoroge, who acknowledged that she had not supported Raila during the 2013 and 2017 presidential elections.
Njoroge said she also strongly disagreed with some of Raila’s political positions during that period but maintained that her disagreements never involved personal insults.
“I did not support Baba in 2013 or 2017, and I sharply disagreed with some of his political positions. That is public knowledge. But not once did I call him mganga or such kind of a thing,” Njoroge said.
Pauline Njoroge Explains Her Relationship With Raila
Njoroge said her relationship with Raila changed following the March 2018 Handshake between Raila and Uhuru, which brought an end to years of bitter political rivalry between the two leaders.
She said the reconciliation was preceded by an agreement by both sides to put behind them hurtful remarks made during their years of political competition.
Njoroge said she subsequently met Raila in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, in November 2018, shortly after he was appointed African Union High Representative for Infrastructure Development.
“We had dinner, talked at length and began a new chapter,” she said.
According to Njoroge, that meeting marked the beginning of a seven-year friendship and working relationship with the former Prime Minister.
She said she went on to work with and support Raila in his role as AU High Representative, during his 2022 presidential campaign and later during his campaign for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission.
“That friendship and working relationship endured until his final days,” Njoroge said.
‘Alai Also Called Baba a Mole’
Njoroge then turned the spotlight on Alai’s own political history, pointing out that he had himself referred to Raila as a “mole” in 2017.
She questioned why Alai was now searching through her social media archives for posts dating back nine years and presenting her former political disagreements with Raila as evidence for her current political position.
“So I find it rather strange to see people like Alai, who himself called Baba a mole in 2017, now digging through my archives for nine year-old posts and presenting them as justification for why they support Ruto today,” Njoroge said.
The political strategist argued that political positions and relationships can change over time, particularly after major political developments such as the 2018 Handshake.
She also questioned why her past disagreements with Raila were being treated as unacceptable while President William Ruto’s history of political attacks against the former Prime Minister was allegedly being overlooked.
Njoroge Accuses Ruto Camp of ‘Political Hypocrisy’
Njoroge said she found it particularly ironic that some of the people using her old posts to defend their support for Ruto were supporting a politician who had himself made numerous attacks against Raila.
“The irony is even greater when the person they are supporting is the same Ruto who spent years calling Baba mganga, mzee wa vitendawili and all manner of names, even as recent as 2023,” she said.
She questioned why her past political disagreement with Raila was being presented as unforgivable while Ruto’s own history of criticism and personal attacks against him was allegedly being ignored.
“So why is my past political disagreement with Baba treated as unforgivable, while Ruto’s years of personal attacks against him are conveniently overlooked?” Njoroge asked.
She described the situation as “political hypocrisy and breathtaking double standards.”
Njoroge maintained that Kenyans were free to support Ruto but challenged them to make that choice on its own merits rather than relying on comments made by other people about Raila many years ago.
“Support Ruto as much as you wish, but don’t say you are doing it because so and so said this and the other about Baba 10 years ago,” she said.
She then pointed to one of Ruto’s past remarks about Raila, citing the phrase “atamsafirisha Bondo.”
A Battle Over Political Loyalties
The dispute between Njoroge and Alai highlights the increasingly intense political battles playing out online as Kenya’s political actors position themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election.
At the heart of the disagreement is whether political positions held during previous electoral contests should continue to define an individual’s political identity years later.
For Njoroge, her past opposition to Raila does not contradict the subsequent relationship she developed with him after the 2018 Handshake.
For Alai, however, Njoroge’s past statements and her association with Raila have become grounds for questioning her role in his political affairs.
The exchange has consequently shifted from a dispute over Njoroge’s role in Raila’s AU campaign into a broader argument over political loyalty, changing alliances and the selective use of politicians’ past statements.
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