President William Ruto addresses mourners during the burial of George Oduor, ODM leader Raila Odinga's long-serving aide on April 12, 2025 at Ramba High School in Siaya County.
President William Ruto on Saturday came head-on with dissenters of his new deal with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, as well as those who see the current State excesses as infringing on their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The President, for the first time since the March 8 pact, responded to those who see happenings in the country as backtracking on the agreement between his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Mr Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
On the other hand, Mr Odinga, his elder brother Dr Oburu Oginga, National Assembly Leader of Minority Junet Mohamed, Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi and ODM national chairperson, Gladys Wanga, were full of praise for the deal.
The working arrangement between Dr Ruto and Mr Odinga lent a helping hand to the President during the impeachment of his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua in October last year, and also at a time when there was widespread discontent against the regime, especially among the youth.
But last Thursday’s incident in which students from Butere Girls High School were teargassed by police in Nakuru County, where the National Drama and Films Festivals are being held, appeared to sour the relationship.
This followed the students’ failure to perform their play, Echoes of War, whose theme has been criticised in some quarters. The play was written by former UDA Secretary-General Cleophas Malala, who had earlier fallen out with President Ruto.
President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga during the burial service of the late George Oduor at Ramba High School in Siaya County on April 12, 2025.
The incident came amid other alleged State excesses, including concerns about the weaponisation of the security apparatus for political expediency, delayed disbursement of funds to the 47 counties, abductions of perceived State critics, and increased taxation.
ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, who appears to have taken a backseat in the broad-based government, on Saturday fired a salvo at President Ruto over what he termed as unending State blunders that make it difficult for his side to uphold their MoU.
“The bishop has said here that Mr President dealing with you is so difficult. Some of your people in government commit blunders every day. The Nakuru drama where children were teargassed and not allowed to do their play was a very unfortunate incident and you need to read the riot act to them,” Mr Sifuna said during the funeral of Mr Odinga’s bodyguard George Oduor in Siaya County.
The Nairobi senator also complained that ODM was not being treated fairly.
“Allocation to ODM from the Political Parties Funds has been cut by Sh42 million. This makes our work difficult. The MoU stated that we respect the law as well as political parties’ rules and so I want to tell Junet (Mohamed) that even as you are looking at the budget, allocate money to ODM as per the law,” he said.
Mr Sifuna also said that the Exchequer must disburse Sh450 billion to counties, and not Sh405 billion—as agreed in the March 8 pact.
His speech appeared to have unsettled President Ruto, who cautioned the senator to “take things slow” lest he be removed from his post.
“I have listened to Sifuna talking tough. As you speak about me, remember I’m one of the founders of the ODM party. So if you push me so hard I will convene a meeting of ODM founders, and if we convene this meeting, we can discipline you,” the President said.
Siaya Governor James Orengo, like Mr Sifuna, also fired at the government. He cautioned against weaponisation of the criminal justice system, police brutality and lack of rule of law.
“Mr President, praise and worship will not take us anywhere. I urge you (UDA, ODM) to tell your leader the truth. I don’t do songs of praise. This country will go to the dogs again if the kind of language I’m hearing here continues,” said Mr Orengo.
President William Ruto addresses mourners during the burial service of the late George Oduor at Ramba High School in Siaya County on April 12, 2025.
Separately, in an exclusive interview with Sunday Nation on Friday, ODM Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi accused President Ruto’s administration of lacking commitment to their MoU.
“We signed the MoU on the basis that the Kenya Kwanza administration would prioritise the issues raised during the Azimio and Gen Z protests. We are now very much concerned about what is happening,” said the Vihiga senator.
Mr Osotsi said that the MoU addressed 10 key issues—including respect for constitutionalism, press freedom, and citizen rights—and said the State’s actions regarding Butere Girls contravened that.
“Our MoU is on 10 critical issues. One of them talks about engagement, empowerment, and rights. As a party, we think that some State actions go against the spirit and the letter of our MoU,” Mr Osotsi said.
Priority areas in the 10-point deal are; implementing the National Dialogue Committee report, equitable public appointments and budget allocations, support for devolution, youth empowerment, integrity in leadership, and ending wastage and corruption. It also addressed rights and freedoms, compensation for victims of injustice, public debt auditing, and respect for constitutionalism and the rule of law.
However, the united front shown during the MoU signing now appears to be fraying under the weight of mistrust and political ambition.
With the 2027 elections looming, the cracks threaten to derail the government’s unity. Mr Odinga has declared that ODM will field a presidential candidate to face Dr Ruto.
Speaking in Mombasa County last week, he said the party would contest the presidency in 2027, despite its cooperation with the government.
Some ODM insiders, however, said Mr Odinga’s statement might signal a potential primary process to select a joint presidential candidate.
“The statement that ODM will face Ruto does not necessarily mean facing him in the General Election. It could mean at the nomination level, with the runner-up’s party getting the deputy president’s slot,” said a source, who spoke in confidence.
“But we are concerned about repeated State blunders that only make Kenyans furious with us due to our cooperation with the government.”
Mr Odinga has repeatedly said that ODM is not part of the government and that the “party only donated experts” to help stabilise the economy and governance.
In July last year, President Ruto appointed Mr Odinga’s allies to key ministerial positions. They are; Opiyo Wandayi (Energy Cabinet Secretary), John Mbadi (National Treasury), Hassan Joho (Mining), Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives) and Beatrice Askul (East African Community). Others are Prof Adams Oloo, Joe Ager, and Dr Sylvester Kasuku, whom he named to the Council of Economic Advisers.
President Ruto reiterated yesterday that the essence of the broad-based government was to unify the country.
“I want to tell you my brother Raila Odinga that what you have done is what has enabled me to do what we are doing in our housing, markets and infrastructure sectors. Our nation, Kenya, has consistently been undermined by divisions. We need to forge unity for the sake of the nation,” he said.
He added: “That’s why we rejected the politics of shareholding and I’m confident that we must get rid of the politics of ethnicity and division.”
Dr Oginga and National Assembly Majority leader Junet Mohamed defended the broad-based government and President Ruto and urged for equal distribution of the national resources.
Mr Mohamed questioned why some people were worried about the 2027 election just because ODM had signed an MoU for cooperation with UDA.
“ODM signed an MoU with UDA on March 7 on a ten-point agenda. That is the way we want our country to go but people are worried about 2027 yet there is life between now and 2027. There is service to the people between now and 2027. Your Excellency, one thing you have achieved with Baba (Mr Odinga) is uniting the country. This is the Kenya we want not a country where some people and regions are discriminated on the basis of shareholding.”
jjochieng@ke.nationmedia.com
