Ruth Odinga told ODM supporters in Migori not to join talks of supporting Ruto for a second term.
Speaking at the Sigand Nyinam convention in Migori on Thursday, Ruth Odinga dismissed speculation that ODM was warming up to support President William Ruto for a second term.
She insisted that such a decision could only come from Raila Odinga, the ODM Party Leader.
“As things stand, we cannot join the two-term chorus. That will be at the behest of our Party Leader, the Right Honourable Raila Odinga, come 2027,” Ruth told the gathering.
Her caution comes weeks after she had also criticised Nairobi MCAs for abandoning the impeachment of Governor Johnson Sakaja midway, saying it weakened their oversight role.
While Ruth took a cautionary tone, Raila Odinga himself has been more direct. During an ODM Parliamentary Group meeting, he dismissed the talk that ODM was preparing to back Ruto in 2027.
“We are ODM. Who told you we won’t have a candidate in 2027?” Raila asked MPs, warning them against speaking outside party structures.
He stressed that ODM had not entered into any binding arrangement with Ruto’s government and that any decision about 2027 would come only from the party’s official organs.
Observers believe ODM’s measured statements are deliberate. Raila’s recent softer engagements with Ruto, including peace deals and bipartisan cooperation, have unsettled supporters used to his role as a strong opposition voice.
But Ruth’s reminder underlined that Raila alone holds the pen on ODM’s future, whether to run again, front a new candidate, or negotiate a deal.
The Migori event, where Ruth spoke, brought together women leaders from Luo Nyanza, including ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga, Migori MP Fatuma Mohammed, Siaya MP Christine Ombaka, and Kabondo-Kasipul MP Eve Obara.
The leaders discussed social issues such as teenage pregnancies, gender-based violence, and HIV. Ruth linked these struggles to the broader push for women’s empowerment and political voice.
With 2027 fast approaching, ODM remains at a political crossroads. Ruth Odinga’s sharp words and Raila’s firm reminders show one message: speculation about ODM’s future is premature.
For now, the party insists that the question of 2027 will be decided only by Raila Odinga and ODM’s official structures, not by individual voices or political rumours.
