Opposition leader Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is grappling with fresh internal divisions following a political deal with President William Ruto that saw key party figures incorporated into the broad-based government.
The divisions stem from conflicting statements by Mr Odinga's troops about their support for President Ruto's Kenya Kwanza administration and possible re-election backing.
ODM Director of Elections, Junet Mohamed, who is also the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Secretary General, accompanied Dr Ruto for a coastal tour this week where he castigated government critics.
Mr Mohamed appeared to join ex-ODM stalwarts who were integrated into the broad-based Cabinet in July, saying they would support Dr Ruto's government.
They include; former ODM deputy party leaders Hassan Joho and Wycliffe Oparanya, former ODM National Chairman John Mbadi and ex-Secretary of Political Affairs Opiyo Wandayi as well as former member of the party's elections board Ms Beatrice Askul.
Although he is not one of the five CSs, Mr Mohamed's move to defend the government appears to have unsettled some ODM members.
“Let us not be a country of lamentations alone because I have a right to say anything I want to say. You can’t close my mouth. The mouth is mine and the politics is mine.
“We have agreed that if the government is doing what is contained in our manifesto, there is nothing to oppose,” Mr Mohamed charged.
But ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna on Wednesday, December 4, insisted that the party remains in the opposition, adding that he is the official spokesperson of the party.
“We have no deal with UDA and we are not in government. I want to say that Secretary General is the official spokesperson of the party and I speak after deliberations by party organs,” said Mr Sifuna.
He pointed out that the move by former ODM officials to join the Cabinet does not mean the party has also joined the Kenya Kwanza administration.
“When our former party officials joined the government, they became Kenya Kwanza Ministers and we should not be associated with their chest thumping and support for the government.
“The reason I did not even attend the president’s State of the Nation address is because Ruto cannot be trusted and I don’t believe he speaks the truth,” Mr Sifuna said during an interview on Radio Citizen on Wednesday morning.
While accompanying President Ruto at the Coast, Mr Mohamed, Mr Joho (Blue Economy CS) and Mr Wandayi (Energy CS) defended the government and vowed to support the President’s re-election in 2027.
Similar sentiments have also been shared by Treasury CS John Mbadi who has maintained that in the event that Mr Odinga is not on the ballot in 2027, he will support Dr Ruto’s re-election.
Mr Mohamed, however, maintained that under the Constitution, he is the true leader of the opposition by virtue of his role as Minority leader in the National Assembly and that nobody should pretend to advise him on what to do.
“Let nobody take my role. That’s the role God has given me. During campaigns, we had our manifesto and Kenya Kwanza also had its own, and so if the government is implementing what we also desired to do, it means there is nothing to oppose at the moment.
“If we said we wanted housing projects and they are being constructed, we wanted electricity and industries, and they are being implemented, it means there’s nothing to oppose.”
The Suna East MP even went ahead to cast aspersions on Article 10 which states that national values and principles of governance include public participation.
The Constitution of Kenya provides that Parliament shall not exclude anyone from participating in public affairs on any grounds such as age, race, colour, gender or political affiliation.
“As National Assembly’s Minority Leader, I know that a government is elected for development. But if the government wants to implement development projects and it faces hurdles hinged on public participation, when will the government work?
“If you want to implement projects in your home do you ask anybody for permission, don’t you only ask your wife and move on? Do you ask your children, father or even grandfather? Will anything happen? This thing must end. Government cannot plead for requests everywhere; from Parliament, judiciary, church, and even civil society.”
“It is in the constitution and we have the most robust constitution,” he said, even as he promised that ODM will address its internal issues amicably.
He took on Mr Mohamed over his stance on the termination of the Adani deals on infrastructure development of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the Energy sector.
“Kenyans did not oppose upgrading of the airport. What Kenyans were asking was transparency in the whole idea. It is unfortunate that even the President does not know why Kenyans rejected Adani deals,” Mr Sifuna added.
He also took a swipe at Mr Joho, the CS for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, for what he described as issuing threats to Kenyans in the name of defending the government.
“This chest thumping and know-it-all attitude must stop,” said Mr Sifuna.
He said that even though ODM donated its members to the Cabinet, they no longer speak for the party and Kenyans should not misconstrue their sentiments as the true position of ODM.
Mr Joho on Tuesday said they have already hit the ground running campaigning for President Ruto, criticising his opponents whom he accused of being preoccupied with social media.
“Sisi tuko kwa ground mbaya sana (We are already on the ground aggressively). There is only one way to unseat a leader who is democratically elected. The only way is through a vote and not social media”, Mr Joho said, scolding at Dr Ruto’s social media critics.
Mr Sifuna however, promised that ODM will address its internal issues amicably, insisting that the party will have a presidential candidate in 2027.
“We may have our challenges as a party which is normal but we shall sort out our internal issues as a family. This is not the first time we're witnessing differing opinions in our party,” he said.
Mr Mbadi, a former ODM Chairman had hinted at Mr Odinga’s bastions backing President Ruto in the coming election.
"President Ruto and the entire Rift Valley supported us in 2007. It is only fair that we as a community support him in the next election," said Mr Mbadi while in Nyanza last week.
He continued: “Let us ignore any presidential candidate if Raila is not contesting and instead support President Ruto as a region.”
On Monday, December 2, Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, a former ODM Director for Political Affairs, also declared his support for the Head of State while accompanying him on a tour of the Coast region.
“President Ruto has opened a new chapter of leadership in the country by bringing forth the broad based government.
“In Nyanza, we have walked with you the people of this region and we have decided to support President Ruto today, tomorrow and forever,” said Mr Wandayi.
ODM Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi on Tuesday, December 3, said they had embarked on activities to boost their popularity, maintaining that “there is nothing wrong with strengthening our outfit.”
“We have started the process with grassroots elections to give our party fresh impetus and the main focus is to strengthen the party.
“We are still two and a half years to 2027 and talks of coalition building will come and we shall handle everything step by step,” Mr Osotsi told Nation.Africa.
He has expressed confidence that he will secure the chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC), a position that would however, lock him out of the 2027 poll unless he resigns to make a sixth attempt.
The term for the Chairperson of the AUC is four years, and the position can be renewed once, meaning that should Mr Odinga win the February 2025 election, he shall have served only two years by the 2027 election in Kenya.
Former CS Moses Kuria, a senior economic advisor in President Ruto's administration recently let the cat out of the bag and announced the coming of a major political movement involving the President and Mr Odinga.
"Apart from the economic calculations I'm making in government, there's another political calculation that I'm making.
"I never go wrong...what I can see ahead is that in 2027, a new national movement same as the 2002 Rainbow moment, is loading and those with brains should join because you will be locked out," Mr Kuria said.
He was referring to the National Alliance Rainbow Coalition (Narc) which propelled former President Mwai Kibaki to power.
The movement had Mr Kibaki, Mr Odinga, former Vice President Kijana Wamalwa, Narc leader Charity Ngilu, the late Prof George Saitoti, former Vice President Moody Awori, and Kalonzo Musyoka among other political luminaries.
