Uhuru Kenyatta has sparked a wave of emotion across Kenya after a video emerged showing him tearfully admitting to personal struggles while paying tribute to his late friend, banker Frank Ireri.
The clip, now viral on TikTok, X, and Facebook, shows a visibly shaken Uhuru saying he owed his recovery and strength to Ireri’s unwavering support during a difficult health battle.
The former president’s voice quivers, and his tone becomes gentler. The man who was once perceived as steadfast now appears momentarily exposed.
“I have lost a colleague, and especially for me, I don’t know whether I should say this but these are realities of life, last year, a good part of this year, whenever we met.”
“He was very encouraging about some of the challenges we were going through but since he had more experience than some of us, he was very encouraging and in guiding and telling you how to look at these and how to handle some of these challenges in life health and otherwise,” he said.”
A human moment
The video was captured during Ireri’s memorial service, where Kenyatta described his friend as a man who “walked with him in sickness and in strength.”
The ex-president’s remarks came amid a heartfelt eulogy for Ireri, a respected banking executive who died after a long illness.
It was a side of Uhuru rarely seen in public; unarmoured, unfiltered.
For a country accustomed to stoic leaders, this confession landed with force. It wasn’t about politics, legacy, or power.
Reactions flood social media
Within hours, the clip ignited social platforms.
On X, one user wrote:
“When a leader acknowledges their own pain, it resonates with the collective wounds of the nation.”
Another user remarked, “Perhaps true strength lies not in silence but in honesty.”
On TikTok, the video trended for much of the day, as users remixed the footage with slow-motion filters and gospel tracks.
Younger Kenyans described it as “a healing moment”, while others voiced scepticism about possible political motivations.
Still, most agreed on one thing-the sight of a former president showing vulnerability felt new.
A shift in tone
Analysts say the moment could mark a quiet transformation in Kenya’s political culture – where power meets empathy.
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In a landscape often defined by combativeness, Uhuru’s openness seemed to offer a rare pause.
“The image endures: a leader, once commanding armies and nations, standing small behind a microphone, voice breaking,” wrote one of the commentators online.
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