ODM should honour Raila by supporting Ruto to the end

Audio By Vocalize

Kenyans from all walks of life are commemorating the first anniversary of the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. In their own ways, many have taken time to celebrate the life of a man who touched the nation in deeply personal ways.

Indeed, Mr Odinga continues to shape Kenya’s politics even in death. Virtually everyone in government or in the Opposition is still reeling from the political vacuum left by his departure. In fact, his absence has literally sent the political class back to the drawing board.

In the last year, a lot was at stake inside ODM, the behemoth Raila steered for 20 years. We saw unrelenting push and shove within the party, as competing factions grappled with new intrigues in his absence. While Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga has retained control of the mainstream ODM, his Nairobi counterpart Edwin Sifuna has chipped away at portions of the party’s support base.

That, however, raises the bigger question. Who inherits Mr Odinga’s formidable political support base as we head into 2027? Opinion polls have suggested that most of Raila’s supporters have shifted towards Mr Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi camp. That, too, is the broader assumption among political analysts.

But the reality on the ground tells a different story. Mr Odinga’s support base has, in fact, settled comfortably in President William Ruto’s political basket. The united opposition should look elsewhere. The mood on the ground during Ruto’s recent tour of Luo Nyanza confirmed this shift.

The visit proved that the broad-based government has made significant inroads into a region that has historically been an opposition bastion. For Luo Nyanza’s sceptical voters, the question is less about old loyalties and more about what the government can deliver.

Much as Ruto needs ODM, Raila’s supporters need the government too. The President is better positioned to advance many of the ideas and development priorities that could transform the Lake Region. For ODM, therefore, maintaining its working relationship with Ruto and his UDA offers the clearest path towards delivering on the aspirations of its supporters.

The President’s Nyanza tour from September 13 to 17 took him through Kisumu, Siaya, Migori and Homa Bay counties, where he inspected, launched and commissioned a range of projects. In Kisumu, he commissioned the Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Project, inspected road works and other infrastructure, and addressed residents on housing and development.

For the first time since independence in 1963, Luo Nyanza is witnessing the rollout of development projects on a scale that would have been difficult to imagine in previous administrations. The region is no longer being treated as subordinate to other places like Mt Kenya or the Rift Valley.

Throughout his tour, Ruto urged residents to judge him by his development record. The overall truth, however, is that Nyanza is now a beneficiary of projects and key appointments. This is why Oburu Oginga must steady the ODM ship and ensure that Raila’s legacy remains firmly represented at the decision-making table. For decades, opposition politics kept the Luo nation on the margins.

The truth is that ODM must to look beyond 2027 for a credible path to the presidency. It could potentially build better towards 2032 after Ruto completes his second term. For now, as we commemorate Baba’s first anniversary, ODM should honour him by staying the course and supporting Ruto to the end. Let this occasion of Baba’s anniversary end the scepticism about the Luo nation’s political future.

– Mr Omondi is former MP for Nyatike Constituency 

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