By Anderson Ojwang

After the recent declaration by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, Dr Oburu Oginga, that his party was not eyeing the deputy president slot in the pre-election pact, President William Ruto has moved to declare his confidence in his deputy, Prof Kithure Kindiki.

Speaking at the UDA Aspirant Forum, President Ruto declared that Kindiki was an able assistant and that he has confidence in his leadership and fits the bill.

“Huyu Naibu wa Rais, Abraham Kithure Kindiki, anatosha ama hatoshi? Ni fire si fire? You know, at one time, I was Uhuru Kenyatta’s deputy.
The work this gentleman is doing is what I did when I was the deputy to President Uhuru Kenyatta. That is the truth. I am happy that currently, I have a principal assistant who knows his duties and role.
Allow me to ask, if it was that other former deputy, could he have the brains to understand his role like Kindiki does? Now you know, my work has been lessened. I have an assistant who understands the government,” he said.

On Monday, in Kisumu, Oburu said before President Ruto and his deputy, Prof Abraham Kithure Kindiki, that ODM was not eyeing the deputy president slot.

Oburu said, “Deputy President, do not think we want your seat and that we want to chase you away. No. Please, you are our friend, but as we negotiate, we are going to negotiate what our people deserve and what our party deserves.
ODM is not a Luo party, but it is a national party. We will negotiate fairly. We are not going to take anybody’s share. Everybody will get their fair share,” he said.

Last year, in a TV interview, Oburu had declared that ODM would demand the deputy presidency in the coalition arrangement.

Oburu said then that ODM would not accept any position lower than that of Deputy President in any pre-election coalition ahead of the 2027 General Election.

He maintained that the party would only negotiate for top positions from a position of strength and not desperation.

“If we have to go for a lower position, it must not be lower than number two (Deputy President) in any formation. That is my take. We should not take less than that,” he said.

Oginga said ODM’s priority is to rebuild and unite its grassroots base to retain influence in national politics.

“I want my people of ODM to strengthen ODM as a party. If we are going to start talking about the position we will occupy there, we will get nothing,” he said.

“Nobody will respect you or negotiate with you if you are a weak party. Our emphasis is on strengthening ODM so that we can negotiate for the top position in the land.”

Oburu, on Monday, said he would be leading ODM during the negotiations and promised to lead the party to Canaan through Singapore.

“I am leading ODM. When you follow flies, it will take you to the pit latrine, and when you follow bees, you will get to the honey.
We are in talks with UDA. We are going to make sure that we have more than what we have currently.
We will start talking. With UDA, some people are saying we are in a hurry. We are not in a hurry. The election is next year. We must prepare in advance. I want to tell you that I will take you to Canaan through Singapore.”

A section of ODM leaders from the Coastal region, during Raila Odinga’s posthumous birthday, declared that their irreducible minimum was the slot of Deputy President in 2027 in exchange for supporting President Ruto.

The leaders proposed Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho for the Deputy President post.

During a recent ODM Linda Ground meeting in Kisumu, Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo told Oburu that, as the party leader of ODM, he could not double up as the lead negotiator in the ODM–President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) pre-election coalition pact.

“Mokuongo amor. Chieng kacha an ema ne awacho ni structured negotiations. Sani Daktari ka itelonwa, joma obiro ka, oyie ni nyaka wadhi e structured negotiations. To nyaka wadhiye
(At the beginning, it was me who spoke about structured dialogue. Currently, Dr Oburu, you are our leader. Everyone in attendance agrees that we must have structured negotiations).

Ka iwacho ni structured negotiation, ok ochuno ni ipingo. Matiende ni wa gin lemo moko. Wadwaro ni wan bende omedwa lemo
(If we talk about structured negotiations, it does not mean we are against the talks. We are demanding more slots).

Daktari saa ma wadhi e structured negotiations, in kik ibed mbele bed chien. In ja telo. Thuonu ok bed mbele. Wasigu nyalo nege
(Dr Oburu, now we are heading into structured negotiations. You should not lead the talks. You are our leader and you cannot be at the front. You could be killed and we would remain without a leader).

Ibed ki ji ma kisungu luongo ni the first right of acceptance and the first right of refusal
(You must have what they call the first right of acceptance and the first right of refusal).

Ka dhi maber to iwacho ni ayie. Ka dhi marach to iwacho ni adagi. Wan ema itiyo kodwa. Wan e foot soldiers. Jowa mantie gi are foot soldiers. Kata onegwa onge rach tek ni thuonwa to pod ngima
(If it is right, you accept, and if it is wrong, you refuse. Use your foot soldiers. Even if the foot soldiers are killed, that is normal, provided the leader remains safe),” he said.

Reviving Azimio Is a Breath of Fresh air for Babu and Sifuna

The revival of the Azimio Coalition Party is not a matter of nostalgia. It is a political necessity, especially for Edwin Sifuna, Babu Owino and a growing list of ODM rebels including Kibagendi, Osotsi and others whose political relevance is increasingly under threat within a drifting ODM.

Without Azimio, these leaders remain trapped in an internal party rebellion with no national ladder to climb. With Azimio, they immediately regain altitude, visibility and bargaining power at the highest level of national politics. That is the brutal reality.

There is nothing preventing the Azimio Chairman from formally elevating Sifuna, Winnie Odinga and Babu Owino as Deputy Party Leaders under Kalonzo Musyoka. ODM is the largest shareholder in Azimio and must stop behaving like a tenant in a house it helped build. Power within coalitions is never begged for, it is asserted.

Azimio remains the only opposition vehicle with true national appeal. It sells across regions without apology or ethnic confinement. More importantly, it is the only legitimate platform through which the Raila Odinga political inheritance can be claimed. The Azimio symbol, the iconic “R”, is inseparable from Raila Odinga’s final presidential run. That brand equity did not vanish with his retirement from active contestation.

For the first time, Azimio can mount a serious six piece assault countrywide. This coalition of over twenty political parties is not a ceremonial outfit. Properly retooled, it has the numbers, structures and history to redraw the political map in ways deeply uncomfortable for William Ruto.

Azimio inherits nationwide structures that Ruto’s regime has failed to neutralise. These networks only require minimal oiling to roar back to life. Anyone dismissing this advantage misunderstands the long game of Kenyan politics. Uhuru Kenyatta’s strategic genius in constructing this political architecture remains one of the most consequential interventions in recent history.

The direction forward is also becoming clearer. With Kalonzo Musyoka as Coalition Leader, the path to him becoming the 2027 presidential candidate is almost inevitable. A ticket anchored by Kalonzo and reinforced by figures such as Wycliffe Oparanya or George Natembeya would be a hard, disciplined and nationally balanced force.

The choice before ODM rebels is simple. Continue fighting internal battles with diminishing returns, or seize Azimio and reposition themselves at the centre of national power. Politics rewards the bold, not the loyal.

By James Okoth

President William Ruto’s recent visit to Kisumu may turn out to be more than a symbolic olive branch extended to an opposition stronghold. The optics of that visit, particularly the visible warmth between Kisumu Deputy Governor Dr Mathew Owili, President Ruto, and ODM elder Dr Oburu Odinga, have reignited debate about the future of Kisumu’s gubernatorial race and the evolving dynamics within the Orange Democratic Movement.

For years, Kisumu has stood as the ideological heartland of ODM, a county defined by loyalty to Raila Odinga, a fierce defence of opposition politics, and resistance to the Kenya Kwanza administration’s political narrative. But politics in Kenya, much like a river, changes course when the terrain shifts. What is now unfolding in Kisumu suggests that the old boundaries between government and opposition are quietly dissolving.

Dr Owili’s political positioning is especially significant. As the Deputy Governor and now a leading contender to succeed Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o, his growing proximity to both State House and the Odinga family hints at an emerging consensus among political elites. “In Kisumu, alignment of this nature is never accidental,” observed a senior ODM figure familiar with the county’s internal dynamics. “It often signals where the wind is blowing within the party.”

Owili has long enjoyed goodwill within ODM’s top circles. Many insiders view him as a steady and acceptable continuity candidate within the Raila Odinga political orbit, a leader who can balance loyalty to the party with pragmatism in dealing with the national government. His public gestures of cooperation with national leaders, combined with his consistent deference to ODM’s core leadership, suggest a carefully managed political recalibration.

This shift mirrors what is happening at the national level. ODM’s increasing engagement with the Kenya Kwanza administration under the cooperation framework has begun to influence county-level politics. Kisumu, once considered unthinkable terrain for such political collaboration, is now emerging as a test case for ODM’s post-opposition identity.

If the party intends to maintain influence and political stability within a cooperative national arrangement, zoning the Kisumu gubernatorial seat in favour of a figure like Dr Owili could appear both strategic and inevitable. His candidacy represents continuity for ODM loyalists, comfort for national actors seeking stability, and a possible bridge across the old political divide.

However, this pragmatic shift also exposes deep tensions within ODM’s base. Aspirants such as Dr Joshua Oron, Aduma Owuor, and Senator Tom Ojienda, who have each cultivated their own followings, may view such a move as premature or exclusionary. Whether they will rally behind a single candidate endorsed by the party hierarchy remains uncertain.

“The danger for ODM is not necessarily losing the seat,” said a Kisumu-based political analyst. “It is the confusion within its ranks. People are asking, what does ODM stand for now — opposition or cooperation?”

Yet in modern Kenyan politics, proximity to power is often the currency of survival. Development projects, government appointments, and political relevance increasingly depend on constructive engagement rather than perpetual confrontation. If Dr Owili eventually emerges as ODM’s consensus candidate, it will signify not just his personal breakthrough but a broader political evolution: the moment Kisumu’s politics formally entered a post-opposition era.

Whether voters embrace this change or resist it will define Kisumu’s next political chapter. What remains certain is that ODM, once defined by protest and defiance, is quietly rewriting its playbook, replacing ideological rigidity with strategic pragmatism. In that unfolding story, Dr Mathew Owili stands at the centre of a delicate and defining transition.

By Anderson Ojwang

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta is not done with his mission. He is back to the drawing board and strategically calculating the 2027 presidential contest.

For the second term, Uhuru will face off with his former deputy and ally-turned bitter political rival, President William Ruto.

Despite the defeat of Azimio la Umoja in the 2022 presidential election, Uhuru is back in the ring, this time more battle-hardened and strategic.

Uhuru, having learnt a hard lesson after his preferred presidential candidate, the enigma Raila Amolo Odinga, lost to Kenya Kwanza candidate President William Ruto by 200,000 votes, is not leaving anything to chance.

This time, Uhuru has his eyes firmly set on the presidency, and that is why he has crafted a raft of strategies and changes within the coalition.

First, Uhuru has moved to revitalise his Jubilee Party and made significant changes and appointments in the leadership.

Uhuru appointed former Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i as his deputy in the party and a probable presidential candidate.

He equally moved Jeremiah Kioni from the position of Secretary-General and replaced him with Mr Richard Moitalel ole Kenta.

“The Jubilee Party National Executive Committee, under the leadership of Uhuru Kenyatta, is pleased to announce the appointment of former Narok North MP Mr Richard Moitalel ole Kenta as the party Secretary-General.”

In November last year, Uhuru had admonished Kioni for what he termed as “insults” against Rigathi Gachagua.

“And you, Kioni. This habit of routinely seeing you online insulting other leaders — this or that, sometimes Gachagua — what for? I don’t want that kind of rubbish,” he said.

“Anyone using my party to insult others will have to go. I will ensure you are kicked out, and you will have to go and get yourself another party to propagate that kind of rubbish.”

Kioni was seen as a critic of DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua and an antagonist in Mt Kenya politics.

Uhuru has equally agreed to a political truce with his former personal assistant, Rigathi. The two have united and are likely to lock President Ruto’s UDA out of the Mt Kenya region.

Gachagua, in a recent TV interview, downplayed his past political attacks on Uhuru, saying his criticism during the 2022 campaigns was purely part of the rough-and-tumble of politics and not driven by personal animosity.

“Campaigning was campaigning; when you are campaigning, there are no rules. It’s rough and nothing personal, really. We were just looking for leadership,” he said. “The things that were said then dropped immediately when the election was over. You don’t bother about them.”

Gachagua, who has since fallen out with Ruto, been impeached, and is now eyeing the country’s top seat in 2027, said politics should not be taken personally, describing election campaigns as “not a church affair or a wedding.”

“When you’re looking for votes, you come up with all sorts of issues against your opponents. And really, there is nothing personal. Once the elections are over, you move on,” he said.

Recently, Kalonzo negotiated a handshake between Uhuru and Gachagua, which is a force likely to lock out President Ruto in Mt Kenya.

Yesterday, Uhuru made changes in Azimio la Umoja by appointing Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka as the leader of the coalition.

He also sacked immediate former Secretary-General Junet Mohamed and replaced him with Suba South MP Caroli Omondi.

The appointment of Kalonzo is likely to trigger political excitement within the united opposition and give a clear signal of a possible presidential line-up to face off with Ruto.

“I graciously accept my appointment as Party Leader of Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition. I thank our chairman, President Uhuru Kenyatta, the coalition leadership, and all constituent parties for this trust. I congratulate my colleagues entrusted with various leadership positions.

Azimio continues to represent the hopes of millions who believe in justice, inclusivity, and a Kenya that works for everyone. We welcome other like-minded individuals and parties to join us as the government in waiting.

This is bigger than any individual; it is about Kenya. I urge my fellow countrymen and women not to despair. Together, we will offer principled leadership focused on national renewal,” he wrote on his social media handles.

The removal of Junet, who was recently accused of undermining Raila’s presidential bid, and his replacement with Caroli is seen as a powerful statement.

Recently, ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna accused Junet of misappropriating agents’ funds and bungling Raila’s campaigns.

Sifuna also accused the party’s Director of Elections, Junet Mohamed, of allegedly failing to pay presidential agents.

Sifuna blamed Junet for undermining Raila’s chances of forming the government in the 2022 general election.

“We are now mourning. If it was not for you, we could have formed the government,” Sifuna said.

Sifuna, who spoke at a funeral in Mt Kenya, demanded a thorough audit of the 2022 presidential campaigns.

“The day we will start the audit of the 2022 elections, it is good you have started the debate. Let everyone say their contributions in the 2022 general elections,” he said.

Junet denied the accusations and instead blamed former President Uhuru Kenyatta, whom he accused of appointing his blood brother, Muhoho Kenyatta, to manage the agents’ funds.

“The answer is simple, clear and verifiable: Former President Uhuru Kenyatta released the funds meant for election agents to his blood brother, Muhoho Kenyatta,” he said.

Similarly, former United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary-General Cleophas Malala claimed that Junet was Ruto’s “agent” in Raila’s team and leaked ODM agents’ data.

“Junet Mohammed has been Raila’s right-hand man for a very long epoch. He was the one managing and ensuring Baba took his medicine on time. He was closer to Baba than even his children.

I want to confirm here, in this interview today, I was William Ruto’s right-hand man. We were in UDA; at night, Junet used to come and see William Ruto.

Brief him on everything. We even had the list of agents for ODM across the country. We knew who was going to be an ODM agent in which place courtesy of Junet,” he claimed.

Similarly, the Azimio La Umoja Volunteer Board, through one of its members, Ronny Raburu, accused Junet of shedding crocodile tears when he failed to address the Central Kenya agents’ issue.

Ronny Raburu said that despite addressing the agents’ issue with Raila at a breakfast meeting and detailing Junet to urgently handle the matter, the latter went mute.

Raila’s chief agent during the August 9 elections, Saitabao Kanchory, claimed that Raila only listened to one person — Suna East MP Junet Mohamed.

“We could not have lost this election if it weren’t for three people. The first one is Junet Mohamed, the second is Joe Mucheru, and the third is Makau Mutua. These are people I have worked with and respect, but in terms of responsibility, they take the highest responsibility,” he said on NTV.