Former President Uhuru Kenyatta Resurfaces Amid Health Rumors

Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta has made his first public appearance after months of speculation about his health.

On Thursday, the Office of the Fourth President, through spokesperson Kanze Dena, announced on social media platform X that Kenyatta had arrived in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, for the 15th High-Level Retreat focused on promoting peace and stability in Africa.

The retreat, organized by the African Union (AU) Commission, aims to evaluate the impact of AU efforts in addressing conflicts across the continent.

Photos shared from the event showed Kenyatta engaging with senior AU officials, including Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security.

“His Excellency President (Rtd) Uhuru Kenyatta arrives in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, ahead of the 15th High-Level Retreat on the Promotion of Peace, Security, and Stability in Africa,” the post read.

It further highlighted that the discussions would center on the AU’s role in conflict resolution through preventive diplomacy and mediation.

Kenyatta, looking cheerful, was photographed interacting with attendees at the event.

Since stepping down from office and handing over to President William Ruto, Kenyatta has been involved in various peace-building efforts across Africa, including in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, and Rwanda.

In September, rumors circulated online suggesting that Kenyatta was critically ill, but one of his close associates, Pauline Njoroge, dismissed the claims.

Njoroge expressed frustration over the spread of false information about the former president’s health, calling it a baseless attempt to attract attention on social media.