KITALE, Kenya – Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has cautioned a section of ODM leaders against invoking the late Raila Odinga’s name to justify their political choices, accusing them of distorting the former Prime Minister’s legacy for personal gain.
Speaking during Mashujaa Day celebrations in Kitale on October 20, Natembeya dismissed claims that Raila had directed ODM members to continue backing President William Ruto’s administration under the Broad-Based Government arrangement.
“Wacha uongo! Raila didn’t know he was going to die. Stop lying to Kenyans about his last wishes,” Natembeya said. “Raila was an honest man with clear ideals, and deceit was not one of them. If you wish to remain in the Broad-Based Government, say so without using Baba’s name.”
His comments come just days after Raila’s state funeral in Bondo, Siaya County, where several ODM leaders — among them Gladys Wanga, John Mbadi, Opiyo Wandayi, Hassan Joho, and Wycliffe Oparanya — claimed Raila had urged them to embrace unity and cooperation with President Ruto’s government.
“Baba told us to stay in the Broad-Based Government. He believed in unity,” Mbadi said at the funeral on October 19, sentiments that Wanga echoed while thanking President Ruto for according Raila a state burial.
However, Natembeya said such assertions risk distorting Raila’s legacy and moral clarity.
“Every government, past and present, found ways to engage Raila because of his leadership and moral authority. But we must not rewrite his story to suit shifting political ambitions,” he said.
Natembeya, who recently donated 15 bulls and 15 bags of maize to Raila’s family as part of traditional mourning rites, reaffirmed his commitment to upholding the ideals that defined Raila’s politics — justice, equality, and integrity.
His position aligns with that of other ODM figures, including Siaya Governor James Orengo, Kisii Governor Simba Arati, and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who have opposed efforts to tie the party’s future to the Broad-Based Government.
They argue that ODM should maintain its role as a watchdog and defender of democracy.
The dispute highlights deepening divisions within ODM as it navigates its post-Raila future. Natembeya urged the party’s leadership and supporters to safeguard Raila’s legacy from political manipulation.
“Let us protect Baba’s legacy,” he said. “His truth belongs to the people of Kenya — not to political convenience.”
