Ruto Vows Justice for Slain Gospel Singer and Denounces Political Tribalism

President William Ruto warned on Thursday that those responsible for killing gospel musician Rachel Wandeto will face accountability, condemning what he described as a dangerous culture of ethnic hatred and political profiling that he said led directly to her death.

Ruto made the remarks during a ceremony at Mama Ngina Drive in Mombasa County, where the government issued 33,000 title deeds to residents. He directed sharp criticism at individuals he accused of labelling fellow Kenyans as traitors over political affiliation.

Rachel Wandeto: Ruto Warns Killers and Condemns Tribalism

“The life of Rachel Wandeto will not go unanswered. You who call other Kenyans traitors, to the point that Rachel Wandeto has been killed because of your hatred, because of your tribalism, and because of the profiling you have done, one day, you will answer,” Ruto said.

In addition, the President warned against the use of ethnicity and blackmail to divide the country. He said his administration would not tolerate such conduct.

“We cannot accept, we cannot allow you to sell us tribalism, to sell us hatred. You will not blackmail our nation using ethnicity,” Ruto said.

Meanwhile, Wandeto, a gospel musician known for her vocal public support of President Ruto, died on May 18, 2026, at Kenyatta National Hospital. She sustained approximately 70 per cent burns from a petrol attack in the Mwiki area of Kasarani, Nairobi.

Before her death, she told investigators that three masked men accosted her.

They accused her of benefiting from government connections because of her political stance, demanded money, then doused her in petrol and set her ablaze.

 Investigation Under Way as Family Demands Justice

Her killing triggered national shock and widespread public protests. It also sparked a fierce public debate about political intolerance across Kenya.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and the President both condemned the attack and called for swift investigations.

As a result, homicide detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) launched a manhunt for the assailants. Furthermore, Winedot’s family publicly demanded justice while urging Kenyans not to politicize her death.

Ruto called for national unity. “We are going to stand together as a nation. Our nation will not go backwards. Our nation will move forward with unity because we are one nation, one people, with a common destiny,” he said.