ODM Party Leader Dr. Oburu Oginga has declared that President William Ruto is poised to secure a landslide victory in the 2027 presidential election, citing the growing partnership between the Orange Democratic Movement and the Kenya Kwanza administration. Speaking during a broad-based government meeting in Naivasha, Oginga said the political alliance had demonstrated that its supporters were serious about retaining power in the next election.
Oginga strongly defended ODM’s decision to work with the Ruto administration, dismissing suggestions that the partnership had weakened or absorbed the opposition party. He maintained that ODM remains a powerful political organization with structures extending from the national level to grassroots communities and polling stations. According to him, the party’s identity and organizational strength remain intact despite its participation in government.
The ODM leader said the party did not join the broad-based government because it lacked the capacity to field a presidential candidate or mobilize voters across the country. Instead, he described the decision as a deliberate political strategy aimed at promoting stability and ensuring that political change in Kenya takes place through elections rather than street demonstrations. He emphasized that Kenyans should determine the country’s leadership through the ballot.
Oginga noted that the arrangement was initiated when his late brother and former ODM leader, Raila Amolo Odinga, was still leading the party. He described Raila’s subsequent death as particularly unfortunate, coming soon after the political partnership had begun. Nevertheless, Oginga indicated that ODM remains committed to the broader political arrangement and its objectives.
He also argued that the cooperation between ODM and Kenya Kwanza is supported by areas of policy convergence. Oginga pointed to affordable housing and universal healthcare as examples of programmes that have featured prominently in both ODM’s agenda and the government’s development priorities. He therefore rejected claims that ODM had abandoned its principles by entering the broad-based government.
According to Oginga, ODM brings both numerical strength and experienced leadership to the administration. He said President Ruto recognizes the party’s ability to mobilize voters at the grassroots while also contributing political experience, policy ideas and quality leadership. He stressed that ODM’s participation should not be interpreted as surrendering its identity or political independence.
Oginga said the next phase of the partnership would involve developing a common policy framework incorporating priorities from both ODM and Kenya Kwanza. This would subsequently be followed by discussions on the structure of the coalition, including arrangements for sharing political power. He also linked the partnership to ODM’s longstanding emphasis on inclusivity, equality and opposition to discrimination, arguing that these principles are compatible with Ruto’s position that no region should be treated as a political shareholder.
The ODM leader further dismissed calls for the party to abandon the government and return to conventional opposition politics. He argued that political parties are ultimately established to seek power and influence government rather than remain permanently in opposition. With ODM maintaining its grassroots structures and deepening its cooperation with the administration, Oginga expressed confidence that the emerging political alliance could deliver Ruto a decisive victory in the 2027 presidential election.
