President William Ruto with ODM party leader Raila Odinga at the funeral of Mama Phoebe Asiyo at Wikondiek in Homa Bay County on August 8, 2025.
ODM leader Raila Odinga has warned his MPs against campaigning for President William Ruto’s 2027 re-election, stating that the party still has the option of fielding a presidential candidate.
In a surprise move, Mr Odinga reminded ODM members to read and stick to the content of the March 2025 memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the party and the president’s UDA party, which he insisted does not cover the 2027 elections.
“We have not passed any resolution as a party to say how we are going to go into the elections of 2027. So wherever you are, don’t commit the party to some things that have not been discussed,” said Mr Odinga.
“Let those things be discussed first. We are ODM, who told you that ODM will not have a candidate in 2027? First, think as ODM, we have a clear plan that we have negotiated and agreed on; other decisions will be taken when the time comes,” he told a parliamentary group meeting of the party’s members of the National Assembly on Monday.
His remarks come on the back of ringing public endorsements of Dr Ruto’s re-election by a section of ODM stalwarts, including its former top officials co-opted in the Cabinet.
During the meeting, ODM also explored an exit strategy from the broad-based government, signalling an acknowledgement of the pushback by critics of the party’s pact with UDA, led by Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna.
A PowerPoint presentation made for the MPs explored the option of exiting the agreement, stating that “if MoU promises are systematically ignored, ODM should publicly reassess the deal”.
In the presentation, the party noted that “we chose this partnership for Kenya’s sake; we aren’t powerless in it”, while vowing to continue with its political activities so that the party does not “deflate into silence” going into the 2027 General Election.
ODM leader Raila Odinga (center) with some of the party's MPs during a Parliamentary Group meeting in Nairobi on September 22, 2025.
The meeting also sought to encourage ODM MPs to hold the Executive accountable on general Bills, the budget as well as appointments to demonstrate that they still “watch the government”.
“ODM MPs chairing committees should question the Executive. That is our democratic duty... participate but still scrutinise, especially on issues outside the MoU. Members still need to see ODM still fights,” read the presentation.
Mr Odinga and his party are caught between two political camps—one that has become a fierce backer of the Kenya Kwanza administration and another critical of the deal between ODM and UDA.
The conflict in the party has seen Mr Odinga speak from both sides of his mouth—on one end he appears to be leading his forces into backing President Ruto while at the same time trying to manage those perceived to be critical of the rapprochement.
President William Ruto (right) with ODM leader Raila Odinga during the third National Executive Retreat at the KCB Leadership Centre in Kajiado County.
For instance, on Monday, while warning his allies against drumming up support for Dr Ruto’s re-election, he explained at length why he formed the broad-based government.
It was on his invitation that National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi—one of the ODM “experts” in the Cabinet—was present to explain to the MPs the country’s economic outlook. The presentation was part of Mr Odinga’s tools of assuaging those critical of his deal.
“As a party, we must never be ashamed to remind the people that we can never accept collapse as an alternative path to power. We must never be shy to remind the country that as a party we have pursued compromise before, and will pursue it whenever necessary, in the interest of the nation,” said Mr Odinga in a written speech.
“We had the option of staking it out to the bitter end in 2007-2008. All we needed was to insist that we would not engage in any talks with our opponents. But we saw the danger of Kenya collapsing, and we opted for compromise for the sake of Kenya. We steadied the ship when gridlock threatened the Uhuru Kenyatta administration.”
Support for Ruto’s re-election
He added: “Today, we are again seeing early fruits of cooperation between political parties. By blending what ODM has always believed in with what UDA believes in, we came up with a widely accepted 2025/2026 budget.”
He also supported the government’s plan to privatise some of State entities.
“Kenya Pipeline Cooperation, the pipeline is underground from Mombasa to here Nairobi. Even if you sell it, where will someone take it to? It remains the asset of Kenya, if someone wants to buy it, let them buy it. It will remain here. Sell it so that we make money instead of going to borrow money to invest. If you are going to sell shares of Safaricom, why not?” he said.
In July last year, President Ruto co-opted five ODM officials into his Cabinet, turning some of his fierce critics into his top cheerleaders. ODM members in the Cabinet include Mr Mbadi, Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, Mr Hassan Joho (Mining and Blue Economy), Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives and MSMEs) and Ms Beatrice Askul (East African Community and Arid and Semi-Arid Lands).
Mr Mbadi, Mr Wandayi and Mr Joho are some of the ODM members who have been vocal in rallying support for President Ruto’s re-election.
President William Ruto and the Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury John Mbadi during a thanksgiving service in Suba South, Homa Bay County.
Some insiders say that some of Mr Odinga’s allies have become more loyal to Dr Ruto, raising concerns that they may defy the party leader ahead of the next elections.
“As Coast leaders, we are fully behind President Ruto. Let’s support him all the way to 2027 and ensure he secures a second term. Even we from the Coast aspire to lead this nation someday, but that chance can only come if we help President Ruto finish his 10 years first,” said Mr Joho in July.
Mr Wandayi has also been making statements that indicate his resolve to back Dr Ruto for a second term.
While the president also gave other allies of Mr Odinga plum government positions as a way of cementing the deal, some of the appointments threaten to expose the ODM leader’s soft underbelly. Some of the individuals have for years worked for Mr Odinga as political advisors and campaign managers.
Prof Makua Mutua, Prof Adams Oloo, Mr Joe Ager and Dr Silvester Kasuku have all joined Dr Ruto’s administration.
On the other hand, a group of youthful politicians led by Mr Sifuna are threatening to break-away from the party should it decide to back the president for a second term.
Known as Kenya Moja, the team includes Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, Kitutu Chache South MP Anthony Kibagendi and Saboti MP Caleb Amisi.
Mr Kibagendi skipped Monday's meeting. He told the Nation that he was not aware of its agenda. He added that ODM has lost traction following its decision to back Dr Ruto’s administration.
“Our party is living on borrowed values. The party has decided to facilitate this regime that has messed up with the health and education sectors. Abductions and some of the atrocities by this administration are not our values,” said Mr Kibagendi.
The split in the party was recently exposed when a fist fight nearly ensued between two senior party officials—co-deputy party leader Simba Arati and National Treasurer Timothy Bosire—during a national executive committee meeting on Thursday over the party’s by-elections candidates in the Gusii region.
The meeting, chaired by ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga, turned stormy after Mr Arati accused Mr Bosire of “poisoning” the ground for the party in Nyamira County, thus making it lose popular contestants to its rivals.
Mr Arati is said to be under pressure as the deputy party leader to deliver the three seats in the region. He claims Mr Bosire and former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i are the thorns in the party’s flesh in the area.
Mr Bosire, who has appeared disgruntled in the past few months over alleged “mistreatment”, has been rallying his community for a possible exit from ODM, which is said to have angered Mr Arati.
The three wards that are set to have by-elections in Gusii region are: Nyamaiya (West Mugirango), Ekerenyo (North Mugirango) and Nyansiongo (Borabu). A senior ODM member told the Nation that the party is yet to pick candidates.
“We don’t have candidates in the three wards in Nyamira. Even in Narok Town Ward, which belonged to us, we now lack a candidate. In Magarini Constituency, the UDA candidate (Stanley Karisa Kenga) has refused to step down because he was the petitioner in the successful nullification of Harisson Kombe’s election. Things are thick and boiling,” the official said.
