Kenya, Aug. 8 -- 'If you are saying one term, so what? Takataka hiyo inabweka' Raila defends Ruto deal. Opposition leader Raila Odinga has reaffirmed his commitment to a Raila-Ruto alliance until 2027, stating, "We are with Ruto until 2027 and then we will decide for Kenyans," during a fiery speech at a funeral in Ndori, Siaya County.
Addressing critics questioning the longevity of his pact with President William Ruto, Odinga dismissed concerns about a one-term presidency, saying, "If you are saying one term, so what?" He announced a joint Kenya Kwanza-ODM inter-parliamentary meeting on August 18 to review the 10-point agenda signed in March 2025, emphasizing, "Sio kubweka tu [It's not just barking]."
The alliance, aimed at implementing the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report, faces scrutiny amid internal ODM divisions and public doubt.
The Raila-Ruto alliance, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on March 7, 2025, at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, seeks to address Kenya's socio-economic and political challenges through a 10-point agenda.
This includes full implementation of the NADCO report, strengthening devolution, promoting youth livelihoods, ensuring leadership integrity, and compensating victims of protest-related violence.
A five-member committee, chaired by Agnes Zani and including Fatuma Ibrahim, Kevin Kiarie, Gabriel Oguda, and Javas Bigambo, was appointed on August 6 to oversee the agenda's execution, with bimonthly reports to Ruto and Odinga and quarterly updates to the joint parliamentary group.
The first inter-parliamentary meeting, set for August 18, aims to assess progress and address grievances, such as demands for increased county funding and an end to police brutality.
Odinga's commitment to the alliance until 2027 stems from his response to the 2024 youth-led protests against taxation and governance failures, which pushed Kenya to the brink of unrest.
The MoU, described as a "unifying vision" by Ruto, followed his cabinet dissolution and incorporation of ODM leaders like Hassan Joho (Mining) and John Mbadi (Treasury), a move criticized as power-sharing by some ODM factions.
Odinga clarified, "ODM has not joined the government formally," but internal dissent, led by Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, who called the deal "dead" over human rights violations, threatens cohesion, as noted in Daily Nation.
Sifuna's faction demands faster implementation of the 10-point agenda, including electoral reforms and compensation for protest victims.
The inter-parliamentary meeting will test the alliance's viability, with ODM pushing for tangible outcomes to justify cooperation with Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
The 10-point agenda prioritizes constitutional reforms, such as creating the Office of the Opposition Leader and reinstating the Prime Minister's post, alongside tackling corruption and public debt transparency.
However, ODM's October 2025 National Delegates Convention (NDC) looms as a defining moment, with debates over leadership and the alliance's future.
Critics like Sifuna argue that Ruto's failure to address police killings and abductions undermines the pact, while supporters like Gladys Wanga and Junet Mohamed back Odinga's strategy.
Netizens highlight Odinga's defense of Sifuna's outspokenness, noting ODM's democratic ethos.
Public sentiment reveals doubt about the alliance's motives, with peoplecomparing it to Odinga's 2018 handshake with Uhuru Kenyatta, suggesting political opportunism.
The alliance's success hinges on addressing youth unemployment, with 2024 protests exposing systemic failure.
The NADCO report's recommendations, shelved until the MoU, include protecting the right to peaceful assembly and auditing national debt, but implementation lags.
Ruto's allies, like Kimani Ichung'wah, laud Odinga's stabilizing role, while critics warn of ODM losing its opposition identity. The inter-parliamentary meeting aims to bridge these divides, with a final report due on March 7, 2026.
The alliance faces external pressures, with former President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee Party revival and potential alliances with Kalonzo Musyoka threatening Ruto's 2027 re-election bid.
Odinga's dismissal of a Gachagua-Kalonzo pact as "rubbish" showing his focus on the MoU, but he insists electoral outcomes depend on the Kenyan people, not deals.
The 10-point agenda's success, including devolution funding and anti-corruption measures, will determine whether ODM cements the alliance or reverts to opposition.
As the August 18 meeting nears, Odinga's balancing act between reform and political strategy will shape Kenya's path to 2027, amid calls for transparency and accountability.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.