Isaac Ruto, the maverick former Governor of Bomet and current Vice Chair of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), has contracted a severe case of "Yellow Fever." His unabashed public embrace of the ruling UDA party’s colours has sparked a constitutional crisis, drawing sharp "injections" of criticism from legal bodies and civil society.

The controversy erupted in January 2026 when Ruto, a state officer constitutionally bound to neutrality, appeared at a UDA National Governing Council meeting decked out in the party’s signature yellow cap and scarf. For a man sitting at the heart of the Judiciary’s hiring organ, the optics were not just bad; they were legally radioactive.

The Constitutional Breach

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ-Kenya) have come out guns blazing. They argue that Ruto’s actions violate Article 75 of the Constitution, which demands state officers remain apolitical.

• The "Injections": The attacks on his conduct are mounting. "You cannot sit in the JSC, deciding the fate of judges who may handle election petitions, while wearing the jersey of one team," warned LSK President Faith Odhiambo.
• The Defense: True to form, Ruto remains defiant. "I am a politician at heart," he told supporters in Bomet. "The law doesn’t stop me from having friends." This cavalier attitude has only fueled the fire.
• UDA’s Calculation: For the ruling party, bringing the CCM leader into the fold—officially or unofficially—is a masterstroke to consolidate the Rift Valley vote ahead of 2027.

A Calculated Risk?

Ruto is no stranger to controversy. His "Mashinani" philosophy often put him at odds with the establishment, but this new alignment suggests a strategic pivot. By betting on the "Yellow" wave, he hopes to secure his political future, perhaps eyeing a return to active politics.

But the cost may be high. With a petition for his removal from the JSC already being drafted, Isaac Ruto’s "Yellow Fever" might just prove fatal to his current tenure. In Kenya’s zero-sum politics, however, he seems to have calculated that the party is thicker than the law.