ODM leader Raila Odinga during an interview on Sunday./SCREENGRAB
ODM leader Raila Odinga has made a surprising announcement: he has committed to supporting President William Ruto through the remainder of the term, up to 2027.
However, he was quick to clarify that this backing comes with a caveat—no discussions about the 2027 succession race until the government delivers on its key promises
Speaking to NTV in an interview on Sunday at his Karen home, Odinga clarified that the ongoing political collaboration with President William Ruto's administration was a temporary measure to stabilize the country—not a long-term political merger.
“We have said that we are in the broad-based government until 2027. We did not say that we are going to work with UDA beyond 2027. Those are issues that we will discuss at the appropriate time, and the decision will be made by party members, not Raila Odinga alone,” Raila said.
Odinga said the decision to work with the government was driven by the need to avert national chaos following last year’s deadly youth-led protests over governance, economic hardships, and police brutality.
He revealed that the country was on the edge of a full-blown crisis, and without intervention, things could have taken a far worse turn.
“In 2023, we were in the streets raising very concrete issues about electoral justice, cost of living and corruption. The government responded with brutality, and we lost about 70 people. When we tried to honour them, no judge allowed us to hold a memorial. We eventually did it quietly,” he said.
