Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga could play a Kingmaker role in the 2027 election, a senior party official has hinted.
ODM Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi, in an exclusive interview with Nation.Africa on the party’s reinvention and future plans, disclosed that Mr Odinga’s quest for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC) will not change his role as the party’s leader and possible presidential candidature.
But Mr Osotsi was quick to add that Mr Odinga could still decide to “sit on the bench and remain as a coach,” in the 2027 election , signalling his 2002 ‘Kibaki Tosha’ moment when he campaigned for the late president Mwai Kibaki to end Kanu’s 40-year rule.
“…you know when Raila is a coach he is more lethal than when he is a player. You saw that 2002 Kibaki Tosha moment when he took the role of a coach and you saw how we won the election overwhelmingly.
“So I want to tell our members across the country that our party leader becoming chairperson of AUC will be more beneficial to the party than what I’m hearing people say because we will now have him occupying a strategic position and that will make ODM even greater,” Mr Osotsi said.
Mr Odinga’s allies in President William Ruto’s Cabinet have been vocal about their support for the Head of State, even hinting at backing his 2027 re-election campaigns.
Last week, Prof Nyong’o, the ODM party interim leader, said that whereas the party does not play second fiddle or trumpet the interests of other political parties, he underscored the need for what he termed as “strategic partnerships,” signalling the party’s possible commitment for a deal with president Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
“…as a political entity, we understand the value of strategic partnerships. From time to time, we may choose to form alliances and coalitions with other parties or groups that align with our objectives and vision for Kenya.
“These partnerships are not acts of subservience but deliberate efforts to strengthen our resolve in achieving our primary goal: capturing political power to transform the lives of Kenyans,” Prof Nyong’o said, further buttressing Mr Osotsi’s sentiments.
Q: As you celebrate 20 years of ODM’s existence, which efforts are you putting in place to rejuvenate the party?
A: We have just completed our grassroots election at the polling stations. Early next year, we'll be rolling out ward, sub-county and county elections.
All these we are doing to strengthen the party, to make the party continue performing its role as a leading people’s voice and a leading opposition party before we enter into a coalition with other parties. You are well aware that coalitions are formed towards the end, just before the election. So our focus now is to strengthen our party.
ODM, as it is, is the leading opposition political party. In terms of the numbers that we have in the National Assembly and the Senate, we are the official opposition party in the two houses and even in various county assemblies, we are either the opposition party or the majority party in those assemblies.
That status has not changed. I have heard people say that ODM is now in government and I have asked them to show me a coalition agreement that says that ODM is in government.
The engagement of political parties is defined in the Political Parties Act as parties which are in a coalition, must have a coalition agreement. ODM does not have any coalition agreement with Kenya Kwanza. The coalition agreement that we have is the Azimio coalition agreement and you know that you cannot belong to two coalitions at the same time.
A: Politics is very dynamic. It changes all the time, depending on changing interests, depending on the environment. We are saying that ODM can engage in coalition arrangements with any party, be it in government or any position but that has not happened yet and if it happens, ODM will make it public and will do the appropriate public participation within its structures. We are a party that believes in structures. Any decision that has to be made by the party has to be processed within the structures of the party and has to involve the members.
Q: Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua , Raila’s running mate in 2022 says it is time ODM solemnised its marriage with UDA to avoid what she terms as “come we stay marriage,” and sitting in government through the back door. What’s your take?
A: The arrangement that we have with Kenya Kwanza is that a few of our members have been seconded to the government as individuals. They have gone there as individuals, though they are still our members. They have not gone there as a party and that is why they all resigned from their party positions and had to cede way for some of us to occupy those positions. So I think there is a misnomer that these individuals represent the ODM party. Though we gave them our permission to join government, it is not ODM that has joined the government and if we join, we will do a coalition agreement, and that coalition agreement will be made public.
Q: You say ODM officials who joined government resigned from their party posts, yet your Director of Elections Junet Mohamed has continued to defend the government despite holding party position and Minority Leader’s post in the National Assembly. What’s your take on this?
A: Well, I want to believe that Junet Mohamed was talking as an individual member. That is not the party position. You are well aware that ODM is a party that believes in party structures.
The individuals who give party positions on any matter to the public are only two. That is Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, who is the party leader and Hon, Senator Edwin Sifuna, who is the secretary-general of the party.
All communications by the party are relayed to the public by the two and in a few cases, that responsibility can be delegated to other party officials. For instance, the party leader could delegate that responsibility to the three deputy party leaders and the secretary general could delegate that decision to the deputy secretary general or any other member who has been given express authority to communicate on behalf of the party.
I do not think that Junet was speaking for the party. He was speaking as an individual and in ODM, we have freedom of expression. We allow our members to express themselves freely on any matter.
Q: Why have your senior officials all of a sudden become sympathisers of the same government you organised demonstrations against which even caused the death of some Kenyans?
A: Well, the President of Kenya is the President of all of us. He is the president of the government and the opposition and I don't think it is a crime to accompany the president and defend some of his policies as Junet has done. But I think as a party, what we hold dear is our values. If we have a member who goes against the values of the party, even in those meetings, then that will be an issue with our party.
It will be processed within the mechanisms of the party. So to me, as I said earlier, every member has the freedom of expression. So long as that freedom of expression does not appear to be inconsistent with the values of the party, we allow that to happen.
There is no crime in accompanying the President to an event so long as, while there, you continue to expound the values of the party and the agendas of the party.
Q: Azimio affiliate party leaders led by Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka have accused ODM of abandoning its opposition duties and working with the government, what’s your take on this?
A: ODM is still a member of the Azimio coalition and we can only exit the Azimio coalition formally. We are the minority party in both the National Assembly and the Senate. You have seen our party leader has come out very strongly lately to speak about a number of issues affecting Kenyans. So I do not understand where they get this notion that ODM has abandoned its opposition duties.
Q: President Ruto has backed Raila’s AUC bid, is this in exchange for his re-election support in 2027?
A: I don’t think there’s any relationship between the two. AU position is about Africa. Our local politics is a different matter altogether. Raila is ODM party leader and he will remain so even when he is at AU. He has only put in place an interim mechanism for the party to continue functioning when he is away.
A: The matter as to whether ODM will give way to another party, I think I am not empowered to talk about that now because that decision will be made by the party rank and file.
Q: About your interest in vying for Vihiga governorship, why do you want to be governor?
A: Well, I officially declared my candidature for a gubernatorial seat for Vihiga County on Sunday during my event at Chavakali High School and you saw if you were there, that declaration came from the people. The people demanded that I declare my candidature there.
I have reasons why I am vying for that position and these reasons will, in the coming days, be explained to the people of Vihiga to understand but one thing which I can say in passing is that Vihiga County is a very unique county.
It is the second smallest county, I think, after Lamu in terms of population and size and because of that, they don't receive a very favourable share of revenue from the national government.
My view is I am going to work very hard through my connections locally and internationally to bring in more resources, more investors and more funders to fund county government projects.
I think our uniqueness is in the sense that we are sandwiched between three major cities – Nakuru, Kisumu and Eldoret and soon, Kakamega will also be a city.
How do we make Vihiga grow? That is a conversation that I want to engage with the people of Vihiga County and take advantage of proximity to those cities to grow our county in terms of infrastructure, housing, amenities like schools, hospitals, and all that.
I will strive to improve education, and health and ensure the provision of clean, safe drinking water which is a challenge in Vihiga County and yet we have several streams, rivers, and our closeness to various water bodies like Lake Victoria.
Q: Critics say you need a second term as a senator before you can think of vying for a gubernatorial seat, what’s your take?
A: Being a senator has exposed me to a lot of areas and information that I need to make Vihiga great and I am serious about making Vihiga great. I want to encourage my competitors to compete with me on issues and factors affecting the people of Vihiga and not on myopic matters of politics. The issue of unity of the people of Vihiga is also very paramount for me.
I want to seek to unite all the clans, and all the sub-tribes of Vihiga County so that we speak with one voice. I will ensure that we share the resources of the county equitably for the benefit of all our people in the county.
