President William Ruto with ODM party leader Oburu Odinga in Kajiado on June 14, 2026./PCS
President William Ruto, ODM party leader Oburu Oginga and Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku attend a church service at Nkarusha Seventh Day Adventist Church, Kajiado County, on June 14, 2026/PCS.Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Oburu Oginga has defended President William Ruto’s countrywide tours and economic policies, which have faced criticism.
Oburu said that despite claims that Ruto is using the tours, disguised as launches of development projects, to campaign for his re-election, the President is justified in traversing the entire country.
The ODM leader, who is also the Siaya Senator, also defended the government’s borrowing policy, saying local borrowing is better than sourcing funds from external financiers who charge exorbitant interest rates.
“I have lived in this country for 80 years and, Your Excellency, I can tell you the type of energy you have, moving all over the country, jumping up and down. I have never seen any president doing that since I was born,” he said in Kiserian, Kajiado County, during a fundraiser for the SDA Church at Kajiado Field.
He added: “This is only done during campaigns. Some people might say that you are campaigning throughout, but campaigning throughout is God-given. If it is a campaign, I don’t believe you are campaigning but inspecting development projects.”
Oburu wondered why Kenyans were complaining about the large gap in budget financing when the government had opted to borrow locally.
“I am a finance expert and I can tell you about the financing of this country; the levels of borrowing. We are borrowing from our own people; we are not going to beg from the international market. We want to trade with them and not be beggars,” Dr Oburu said.
He added: “Borrowing from within is actually what should be done. What do those other countries owe you that you think they can be giving you money for nothing? They exploit you when you take money from them; they charge you a lot and it is in their interest.”
The ODM boss cited the National Infrastructure Fund and the Housing Levy as some of the initiatives that will give the country financial autonomy.
“We have the Housing Levy; people are complaining, but we can see the results of the collections. The results are evident. You are raising money from within to develop our country and this is important. This is not something new; all countries have deficits, but it is how you raise money to finance the deficit that matters,” Dr Oburu concluded.
