Raila: In the 2027 elections, ODM will run against Ruto

The ODM party would run a presidential candidate in the upcoming elections, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga announced on Saturday.

Hassan Joho, the cabinet secretary for mining, was among the prominent local leaders that attended yesterday’s Mombasa Governor’s Eid Baraza in Treasury Square, where Raila made this statement.

“ODM will field its presidential candidate when the election comes in 2027,” Raila declared as party officials blasted former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi for his outburst against President William Ruto’s leadership.

However, Raila defended ODM’s choice to collaborate with the Kenya Kwanza government, claiming that it was intended to bring Kenyans together and foster an environment that was welcoming to growth.

ODM is working with the government to establish a peaceful environment, he said, but that won’t prevent the party from running a presidential candidate in 2027.

Insisting that collaboration with the government was not treachery as some perceive it, the ODM party leader stated that peace and unity are essential for a nation to progress.

Kenyans must band together and cooperate because “Kenya is more important than individuals, and doing so is not betrayal,” Raila stated.

“ODM is working with the government to promote peace and create an environment that is conducive to development until the 2027 election, not to betray Kenyans,” he continued.

He said that Kenyans wanted a nation free from vice and criticized the Kwanza government for failing to combat corruption in the nation.

Moreover, the former PM urged lawmakers to uphold the Constitution and guarantee the functioning of the devolved administrations. He asked Parliament to guarantee that the Sh460 billion allotted to county governments is received.

Additionally, Raila pushed for better health care from the government.
“Kenya is more significant than people. Odinga urged Kenyans to come together and cooperate.

Muturi was pushed by certain ODM lawmakers to present evidence against the government over allegations of corruption during the meeting.

Muturi should provide such material to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) for investigation, the MPs said. 

Governor Abdulswamad Nassir of Mombasa said Muturi’s allegations were unsupported and should be disregarded.

Nassir described Muturi’s feelings as “shameful and ironic,” as he used to commend the government while he was in power but is now only complaining after his life took a turn for the worse.

He requested that members of parliament bring up Muturi’s assertions as a substantive motion for debate.

Muturi’s charges were rejected as “baseless” by National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohammed, who said they were part of an effort to stay politically relevant after being removed from the Cabinet.

In addition, Junet rekindled worries over the Bunge Tower project’s exorbitant expenses by insisting that Muturi provide an explanation for how the project’s budget grew from Sh6 billion to Sh27 billion while he was speaker.