President William Ruto has assured members of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) that their party will play a major role in shaping Kenya’s next government, following the passing of their leader, Raila Odinga.
Speaking during Raila Odinga’s burial ceremony at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology in Siaya County on Sunday, President Ruto said his administration will continue working closely with ODM to preserve the late leader’s legacy of democracy and national unity.
“I assure ODM members that we will support them, because Baba believed in the strength of many political parties,” Ruto said.
“ODM will either form the next government or be part of it.”
The President emphasized that under his leadership, ODM’s place in Kenya’s political landscape is secure, vowing to resist any efforts to weaken or isolate the party.
“What I will not allow, in honour of Odinga, is anyone trying to turn ODM into an alienated opposition party,” he said.
Ruto described Raila as a teacher, mentor, and visionary, noting that their political journey was one of both rivalry and mutual respect.
“Raila was not just an engineer — he was a political engineer,” Ruto said, echoing remarks by Mama Ida Odinga, Raila’s widow.
“Among his many political students is I. He mentored me.”
The President recalled first meeting Raila in 1997, when both served as Members of Parliament, describing him as “a patriot who dedicated his life to Kenya’s progress and democracy.”
Reflecting on the 2022 presidential election, Ruto said it was a contest between “a teacher and his student,” and that he would have accepted any outcome peacefully.
“I would have been at peace if he won; his ideas on housing, healthcare, and education were as good as mine,” he said.
Ruto revealed that after the elections, he reached out to Raila and expressed his desire to work together in the spirit of national unity.
“I told him I had no problem with him running again in 2027, but as his student, I wanted to right the wrongs done to him,” Ruto said.
He noted that his decision to include ODM members in his government after the 2024 youth-led anti-government protests was meant to promote peace and cooperation.
“Baba did not give me conditions about it. I’m the one who offered the Cabinet Secretary posts, and he gave me capable leaders like John Mbadi, who is now serving in the Finance Ministry,” Ruto said.
The President praised Raila for his lifelong concern about Kenya’s pace of development, saying the two held several private meetings over the past few months to discuss how to accelerate national growth.
“Raila often compared Kenya’s progress with countries like Singapore and Malaysia. We had extensive talks about how we could catch up,” Ruto shared.
He called on all leaders — regardless of political affiliation — to build on Raila’s legacy of unity, justice, and service.
“Let us continue what he started — building a country where no one is left behind,” Ruto said.
Following Odinga’s death on Wednesday, October 15, in India at the age of 80, the ODM National Executive Committee (NEC) appointed Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, Raila’s elder brother, as the acting party leader.
The NEC said it would hold another meeting soon to decide on the party’s long-term leadership and future direction.
Odinga was laid to rest on Sunday afternoon at his family home in Kang’o ka Jaramogi, Bondo, next to the graves of his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, and his mother, Mary Ajuma.
The ceremony was attended by top national and regional leaders, including former presidents, opposition figures, and thousands of Kenyans who gathered to pay their last respects to the man widely regarded as Kenya’s greatest opposition icon.
Raila Odinga’s passing marks the end of an era in Kenyan politics. For over four decades, he championed democracy, good governance, and national reconciliation, leaving behind a legacy that transcends party lines.
President Ruto’s pledge to work with ODM signals a new chapter — one that could unite Kenyans across political divides in the pursuit of the values Raila Odinga stood for: freedom, fairness, and progress for all.
