Details have emerged of President William Ruto’s offer for Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga in his broad-based Cabinet amid a stand-off in the opposition over cooperation with the Kenya Kwanza government.
Impeccable sources in government and in Mr Odinga’s camp confided in Sunday Nation that President Ruto has since offered the opposition chief at least five Cabinet slots.
According to the sources, the former prime minister has been offered the Cabinet positions which are yet to be filled and they include National Treasury and Planning; Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management; Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs; and East African Community, Arid region and Regional Development.
“Ruto is offering these ministries, but Raila insists we should not take them if Kalonzo (Musyoka), (Martha) Karua and (Jeremiah) Kioni don’t agree,” an insider in Mr Odinga’s camp told Sunday Nation.
He went on: “We have to push back. Finance cuts across all ministries and has a representative in every board. Blue Economy is what ODM counties are about from Coast to Busia to Turkana to Nyanza. What do we want?”
But even as Mr Odinga is still torn between his Azimio la Umoja One Kenya partners, including former president Uhuru Kenyatta who chairs the coalition’s council, Mr Musyoka’s faction has distanced itself from the ODM leader’s move to cooperate with the Kenya Kwanza administration, insisting that any affiliate party doing so is doing it individually.
“We shall not participate in or support the proposed Kenya Kwanza-led broad-based government of national unity. This is a betrayal of the Kenyan people, particularly Gen Z and millennials, who have paid the ultimate price to rid this country of the disastrous Kenya Kwanza regime, their harsh taxes (Finance Bill 2023/2024), corruption, tribalism, unemployment, and the continued high cost of living,” said Mr Musyoka in a press statement on Friday.
“We shall not join for the straightforward reason that such actions are a betrayal of the ideology, values and tenets of both our coalition party and our constituent parties. As long as the Kenya Kwanza regime remains in place, absolutely nothing will change. A Cabinet re-organisation and changing of office holders will only be cosmetic,” he added.
ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna termed as a “disappointment”, the return of six Cabinet Secretaries, whom Dr Ruto had dismissed, further adding to the confusion surrounding Mr Odinga’s cooperation bid with the government.
“It’s a major disappointment. It doesn’t send the right message in terms of what the public expected. It would be difficult, for instance, to have an honest conversation about reforms and accountability in the security sector with the likes of Duale and Kindiki back in Cabinet. Those two are part of the problem,” Mr Sifuna told Sunday Nation.
The ODM official insisted that for an honest conversation, “no member of the former cabinet ought to be brought back.”
Government Spokesman Isaac Mwaura said the President was consulting widely on those picked and the remaining picks.
“The President wants a Cabinet that reflects the face of Kenya that also meets constitutional requirements such as regional balance, inclusion of the youth, women, persons with disabilities etc He is keen to have a broad-based government despite political opinion. In the same vein, the opposition is also having its own consultations as this is part of the national dialogue to form an all-inclusive government,” said Mr Mwaura.
He went on: “The President has had to look at those ministers with the requisite capacity and experience for institutional memory and effective public service delivery. There is need to ensure continuity of the implementation of the bottom-up economic transformation plan while at the same time inject new blood as Kenyans have demanded.”
Mr Odinga is said to be in a dilemma on whether to present his list of nominees to the President amid simmering tension over the return of the former CSs.
His close associate told Sunday Nation that there have been several attempts, including from his elder brother Dr Oburu Oginga, to accept Dr Ruto’s offer.
“But as of this evening (Saturday), he (Mr Odinga) was still reaching out to Kalonzo,” the source said, adding that President Ruto “particularly wanted Finance and Energy to come from Nyanza.”
The source added that President Ruto is keen on that since the Finance docket has never been held by Luo Nyanza since independence and this would give the region the best opportunity to hold the position.
“Everyone is frustrated. Even Oburu has tried without success,” the source said on attempts to convince Mr Odinga to accept the President’s offer.
Whereas Dr Ruto is said to be keen on handing the Finance docket to Nyanza, ODM deputy party leader Wycliffe Oparanya is said to be salivating for the position, having been promised by Mr Odinga in the run-up to the August 9, 2022 elections had Azimio won the top seat.
Mr Odinga is said to have flown out of the country on Saturday evening on a “business mission to Dubai,” where it is suspected he could meet former president Kenyatta who has been pulling the strings in Azimio from behind the scenes.
Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula on Saturday sensationally claimed that “the war between Uhuru and Ruto is not yet over to date,” hence the main reason for the stand-off and Mr Odinga’s delay to submit his list of nominees.
“So Raila has found himself between a rock and a hard place . While Ruto had managed to pull him from Uhuru and even promised him support for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC), Uhuru is still determined to win over Raila. This is the reason for the push and pull we are witnessing now,” Mr Savula said.
He pointed out that he has attended various strategy meetings of Azimio on behalf of DAP-K party, with the latest one held at Mr Oparanya’s home in Butere, Kakamega County recently where cooperation with Dr Ruto’s government was discussed with “attendant intrigues.”
Mr Savula says President Ruto is candid on his push to have Mr Odinga on his side and is “keen on ODM in particular.”
“In fact, he wants Raila to give him names from Coast, Western and Nyanza alone for the seven Cabinet slots that I heard of. Ruto needs ODM more than he needs Azimio. Nobody has even invited the other Azimio team to government and I implore upon them to focus on the opposition and keep the government in check,” added Mr Savula.
Uriri MP Mark Nyamita said: "It's too early to comment on the cabinet till we have the full list...the face of Kenya is not yet out...we are anxious, expectant."
Mr Odinga has been facing a major political dilemma in the wake of his engagements with President Ruto’s administration.
He has in recent weeks received a bashing on social media over his endorsement of dialogue convened by President Ruto to address concerns raised by the Kenyan youth.
The ODM leader finds himself in unfamiliar territory, owing to his bid for the high-profile AUC post that needs the backing of the Head of State.
Insiders in Mr Odinga’s camp also insist that unlike the ODM leader’s association with Mr Kenyatta through the famous ‘Handshake,’ his working with Dr Ruto should mean co-opting some opposition figures in government.
Mr Odinga backed Mr Kenyatta’s administration from outside, with a promise of delivery of the presidency to him in the 2022 elections, an assurance that never was.
