Wamuzi News Ke
In a sharp turnaround that sets the stage for a high-stakes political showdown, the Secretary-General of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Edwin Sifuna, has publicly challenged President William Ruto’s assertion that the late Raila Odinga was his only worthy rival for the 2027 presidency.
Sifuna, speaking on Saturday during an ODM gathering in Mombasa, insisted that Ruto’s comments underestimated the party’s strength and misrepresented the opposition dynamics ahead of the next election.
“People are saying it was only Baba [Raila] who could challenge you in 2027,” Sifuna told party faithful, referencing a line in which the President reportedly elevated Raila as the only credible contender. He added sharply: “The young lion is still a lion. They will be shocked.”
ODM Signals It Will Field Own Candidate — Not Just Rely on Raila’s Legacy
In his address, Sifuna dispelled suggestions that ODM’s electoral viability is tied solely to Raila Odinga’s legacy or name. “You think we will be irrelevant without him? No. We will front candidates in all elective positions and we will win,” he declared.
The bold language signals that ODM intends to mount an aggressive campaign in 2027, either with a fresh face or within its own ranks, instead of playing second fiddle in national coalition politics.
By asserting ODM’s independence and readiness, Sifuna directly challenged Ruto’s narrative that frames the 2027 race as a two-horse contest between the incumbent and Raila Odinga. The implication: Ruto may have miscalculated the political field by underestimating ODM’s capacity and ambitions.
The confrontation between Sifuna and Ruto carries several implications:
- Coalition Realignment Risk: ODM’s clear stance threatens to upset existing alliances and could force reconfiguration of the 2027 electoral map. With ODM appearing intent on going solo, the role of other parties and coalition arrangements becomes more fluid.
- Psychological Impact: Ruto’s positioning of Raila Odinga as the sole credible rival was meant to consolidate a two-front narrative and possibly marginalise other players. Sifuna’s response disrupts that framing and injects uncertainty into Ruto’s campaign calculus.
- Internal Party Signalling: Within ODM, Sifuna’s defiant tone may serve to coalesce party members around a new direction — less dependent on Raila’s leadership and more focused on the institution itself, empowering younger cadres or emerging leaders.
- Public Perception: For Kenyan voters, the public spat underscores the shifting ground of Kenyan party politics: legacy figures are no longer safe as anchors of opposition strategy, and younger or less established players may step into the limelight.
Already, political watchers are awaiting ODM’s next moves: who will the party settle on as its 2027 presidential candidate? Will it rally behind a unified front or open primary-style contest? How will other parties respond to ODM’s rejection of being treated as a junior partner?
President Ruto, on his part, may feel compelled to address his rally remark or recalibrate his strategy to account for this unexpected pushback from one of the country’s major parties. With less than two years to the general elections, the next round of meetings, statements and alliance bargaining are likely to accelerate.
As the dust settles on Saturday’s remarks, one thing is clear: Kenya’s political heat has just gone up several notches. ODM is signalling it refuses to be boxed in — and Ruto’s assumption of a predictable two-player race may prove to be a miscalculation.
