KISUMU, Kenya — Raila Odinga Junior, son of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, has endorsed President William Ruto’s bid for a second term, signalling support for the President ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Raila Junior made the declaration during a church service attended by Ruto in Kisumu on Sunday, saying the President and his late father shared a vision of development that extended beyond the Nyanza region.
“Your Excellency, welcome to Kisumu. I am Raila Odinga Junior, Baba’s son. I do not have much to say, but I know you had a shared vision with Raila of development and bringing things to the ground, and not just in the Nyanza region but the whole of Kenya,” he said.
He subsequently declared his full support for Ruto.
“Therefore, Your Excellency, I would like to say that I am supporting and I’m behind you fully,” Raila Junior said.
The endorsement comes as political realignments intensify ahead of the 2027 election, with Ruto seeking to consolidate support beyond his traditional political strongholds.
Ruto promises to preserve Raila’s development legacy
Ruto, who was speaking during a grassroots leaders’ meeting in Kisumu, pledged to work with ODM leaders and supporters to advance what he described as Raila’s development legacy.
The President acknowledged that replacing the late opposition leader would be difficult but said his administration could sustain his legacy through development and cooperation.
“It may not be possible to replace the late Raila Odinga, but we can work to make sure that his legacy is carried on in the development of our nation,” Ruto said.
Ruto also described himself as a student of the late opposition leader and assured ODM supporters that he would continue working with them.
“I want to assure you that as a student of the late Raila Odinga, I will walk with you. ODM and UDA are not competitors but rather collaborators, and I will ensure his legacy lives on,” he said.
The remarks point to Ruto’s efforts to maintain political cooperation with sections of the ODM movement following Raila’s death.
Ruto links projects to Raila’s vision
The President said he had returned to Kisumu to account for promises he made to Kenyans four years ago.
Ruto argued that his administration had made significant progress despite inheriting an economy burdened by high debt and inflation.
“We had an economy that was burdened with a lot of debts and inflation was high, but I can now confidently say our economy is stable, and today the economy is the sixth largest economy in Africa,” he said.
Ruto also linked some of his administration’s flagship programmes to what he described as Raila’s long-standing development agenda.
Among the projects he cited were the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), affordable housing and job creation.
“There are three things that the late Raila Odinga would be proud of. One is the Standard Gauge Railway, which has started from Narok to Kisumu. Another programme is the creation of jobs through the housing project,” Ruto said.
Affordable housing and jobs
Ruto presented the Affordable Housing Programme as both a housing initiative and a source of employment for young people.
He said the programme would expand access to decent housing while creating jobs through construction and related economic activities.
The President has increasingly positioned affordable housing as one of his administration’s flagship programmes, particularly in discussions about youth employment and urban development.
In Kisumu, his remarks placed the housing programme within the broader development narrative he associated with the late former Prime Minister.
