NAIROBI, Kenya – Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga is faced with tough political choices, weeks after entering into a pact with his foe-turned-ally, President William Ruto.
A fortnight ago, the two leaders signed an agreement at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) to work together.
However, analysts have read mischief in the “handshake,” attributing their newfound camaraderie to their own interests.
“When you look at democracy, it has its own traditions, but here in Kenya, we have perfected the art of modifying those traditions at least to suit certain critical interests,” said governance analyst Javas Bigambo.
Bigambo says that these interests are for the preservation of political parties, the preservation of political careers, and, to some extent, national cohesion and the nationhood that Kenya currently is.
This week, the former prime minister defended his decision to cooperate with President Ruto, insisting that it was the head of state who approached him to help him stabilise the country.
How Raila defended his working relationship with President Ruto
Speaking at a funeral in Muthiga, Kiambu County, Raila rubbished claims by his detractors, maintaining that he could not take a ringside and watch Kenyans suffer.
“Some people are making noise, claiming that I have abandoned them and joined Ruto. But I didn’t go to Ruto; rather, Ruto came to me,” said Raila.
But Bigambo couldn’t hear none of this insisting that Raila joined Ruto for their own interests and not for the sake of Kenyans.
“Raila has intimidated that he has not brought himself into the Kenya Kwanza government to betray anyone, and that actually it is the president who approached him. For me, I think that this is the least important thing because we all know that it is the political interests of the president and the former prime minister,” added Bigambo.
Bigambo went on: “So, the former premier should not be shy to stand firm about the position he has taken because he took that position in broad daylight.”
When they met to cement their new working arrangement, President Ruto and Raila unveiled a ten-point agenda aimed at fostering national unity and addressing longstanding governance challenges.
What the Gusii community demands from Raila, the ODM party
The agreement, which came after five years of political rivalry, seeks to implement the recommendations of the National Dialogue Committee (Nadco) Report.
“What is coming out of this accord is that the populace or the ordinary citizens are not yet convinced that what our party leader Raila Odinga did with the president was the right thing. I have just come back from Kisii, and my Kisii people are telling me that they are not convinced that this is not the way to go,” said Kitutu Masaba MP Daniel Manduku.
On Sunday, March 9, 2025, Raila encountered a hostile reception at Gusii Stadium, where he had attended the unveiling of Shabana FC’s new kit by their sponsor.
The event, which was supposed to be a celebration, soon degenerated into chaos when a section of the audience chanted “Raila must go!” as the former prime minister took to the podium in a region perceived to be his political bastion.
Despite the interruptions, Raila, who was accompanied by, among others, governors Simba Arati (Kisii), Johnson Sakaja (Nairobi) and Ochilo Ayako (Migori), continued with his speech, saying his pact with the president aimed to unite Kenyans.
But Manduku said that he will only support the arrangement between President Ruto and Raila as long as it is development-oriented.
“As the Gusii community, our minimum is that Raila Odinga must give us one CS position and two PS positions so that we can start discussing and seeing how we can remain in this arrangement,” said Manduku.
Why Rigathi Gachagua’s ally feels Raila may disappoint his allies
Manduku claimed that in the last two years, the Gusii nation had gotten the short end of the stick, with the rest of the national cake going to Raila’s Luo Nyanza backyard.
The vocal MP indicated that should the pact fail to meet the expectations of the Gusii community, then together with other like-minded leaders, they will ask their people to gracefully exit from any arrangement with ODM.
“We are not happy that a few available seats were all given to Luo Nyanza, and I have no fear of contradiction. What we are saying is let us give you a chance, but if we don’t get equitable allocation of resources and positions to the Gusii nation, then we have no business in this thing,” Manduku added.
While delving into the matter, Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina urged Raila’s allies not to have a lot of expectations in his new working formula with President Ruto.
“We will not see any changes about addressing matters concerning Kenyans because if we were to have seen those changes, then we could have seen them in the last regime, where Raila also had a popular handshake with the former president Uhuru Kenyatta,” said Njeri.
What Kirinyaga Woman MP Njeri Maina expects from all MPs
Njeri, a close ally of former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, urged Kenyans to ask and demand accountability from their respective MPs.
“Everyone must ensure that indeed we deliver to the Kenyan people,” said the youthful lawmaker.
Njeri insisted that MPs should find a decorum of representing the people, furthering their agenda, and also ensuring that they balance their interests.
However, in a quick rejoinder, political analyst Dismus Mokua wondered why Manduku had changed his position about Raila three weeks after Raila struck a deal with President Ruto.
Mokua observed that there was a likelihood that even Njeri would also change her position should Gachagua meet the head of state over a cup of tea.
“And it goes back to the basics of economics that every human being is born to serve their own selfish interests, and the people who know how to do that are the elected leaders who make their selfish interests look like public interests,” explained Mokua.
