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Raila Odinga is a seasoned politician whose mastery of Kenya’s political landscape, cooperation with various regimes as well and ability to remain relevant politically with a huge following set him apart from the rest.
However, his recent deal with President William Ruto has left him in a tight spot.
The pact which gave birth to the broad-based government has not only left his troops divided but also shaken the very foundations on which ODM as a party is built as some of his allies exercise their democratic rights to question the deal and criticise the government that some of their associates are serving in.
The sustained criticism has seen questions emerge on whether the deal was a mis-step or another master stroke in the book of political moves for a politician with the proverbial nine lives of a cat.
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What Raila told Sifuna amid sustained criticism of broad-based government
At the burial of Charles Ong’ondo Were, who was felled by an assassin’s bullet, Raila had to call his troops to order, prevailing upon Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna who has been a vocal critic of the broad-based government to tone down his criticism.
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Acknowledging the Sifuna who is ODM’s Secretary General speaks for the party, Raila cautioned the ODM Secretary General not to be too tough.
READ: Raila’s dilemma, Ruto’s options & implosion in ODM as Orengo, Sifuna and Babu rebel
"The spokesman of the party is the Secretary General. When Sifuna speaks, he speaks on behalf of the party but then sazingine apana kuwa chungu sana. We have an arrangement with Kenya Kwanza and put it in black and white, a 10-point agenda and want it to be fully implemented," Raila stated.
Sifuna is not alone in criticising the deal as similar sentiments have been made by Siaya Governor James Orengo and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino who are all staunch ODM party members and loyal to Raila.
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Heated debate as pressure piles on government critics to exit ODM
So heated has the debate been that Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi and Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga who also happens to be Raila’s elder brother have all dared Orengo and those lashing out at the broad-based government to resign and exit the party.
READ: Winnie Odinga on who she gets defensive for, why Raila isn't one of them
“I don't know my governor Orengo is annoyed, is annoyed with who, the truth of the matter is ODM is in broad-based government, the likes of Orengo are vomiting on us , why don't they move out and vomit there,” Oburu stated.
In response to Orengo’s declaration that he is ready to go to jail while lashing out at the deal which he claimed is bad for the country and going against the gains made in the nation’s democratic space Atandi noted that age may not allow the Siaya governor to come out alive.
"Some leaders in this community are promising that they are willing to go back to jail or the streets. Some of them are so advanced in age that if they go to jail they will not come out because jail is like hell. We have an opportunity to work with our president to transform our region." Atandi remarked in Migori last Sunday.
Mbadi feels the heat & benefits of broad-based gov't to ODM in 2027
The entry of Raila's men into the government was the subject of Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi’s speech at the burial of Were.
READ: Raila’s secret to a lasting marriage & tips from 51 years of marriage to Ida
Mbadi who has been feeling the heat pleaded for support, outlining the benefits of their presence in the government to the party.
According to him, the decision by Raila and ODM to allow “experts” to join Ruto’s government is a huge win for the party as it helps in building a strong case for ODM to form and run a government in 2027 elections.
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Another reason is I wanted to demonstrate to Kenyans that if Raila had become president, these are the people he would have gone with to government, and this is what they would have done
If I am there, I expect total support from the party, starting with the Secretary General. My brother Sifuna, I am a member of your party and I don't belong to any other. If I fail, there's no way you can convince anyone in 2027 that ODM can run a government.
Loses and gains for Ruto & Raila: Who is benefitting?
The deal has won former Prime Minster support from some quarters, with President William Ruto also gaining new allies and making inroads into a region that widely rejected his candidature and voted overwhelmingly for Raila.
READ: Raila turns the heat on Ruto: Issues raised & implications on broad-based gov’t
It has also seen the ODM boss lose support in other quarters and face growing resistance from his support base, with a number of loyalists leading in criticizing the deal and pointing out its disadvantages.
For decades, Raila stood on the side of Kenyans pushing for an end to corruption, police brutality, cost of living and other issues of concern to the citizenry.
While the deal has clear areas of cooperation, some see him as having abandoned the course by aligning with the government of the day and his troops who had been fierce critics turning into loyal allies of the government.
Some have placed their frustrations with the current government at the former Prime Minister's doorstep, insisting that Raila who would in the past be counted upon to rally Kenyans to the streets to hold the government accountable and push for reforms is part of the system
The ODM boss also fell out of favour with some of those who have worked with him in the recent past such as PLP party leader Martha Karua, Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka and many others.
To them, Raila is like a general who has deserted duty, abandoned his troops midway into the battle and crossed over to the rival side.
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In the wake of the deal, voices that had been clear in criticizing the government suddenly became muffled with some turning to praising the government overnight in what was a blow to a robust opposition that was fit for purpose.
READ: Gachagua turns to 6 tactics used by Ruto in bid to deny him a 2nd term in 2027
It is for this reason that some of Railas critics hold him accountable for a weakened opposition whose ability to provide the oversight to the government as envisioned in the constitution has been questioned.
With Kenya’s dynamic politics, only the fullness of time will tell whether the deal with Ruto left Raila weaker or stronger.