Wamuzi News Ke
In a powerful and historic public announcement that might possibly reshape the political landscape of Kenya before the 2027 general elections, the Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has lit a fire underneath the MPs and political leaders who oppose broad-based government, saying that it might happen that they would be losing their parliamentary and elective positions in the upcoming election cycle.
Wandayi, while speaking to the public at the high-profile church service at St. Peter’s Ugunja Catholic Church on Sunday, characterized the broad-based government—a coalition of President William Ruto’s administration and the top leaders of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM)—as more than a power-sharing arrangement but an unstoppable force of the current political atmosphere apparently shaping the future of Kenya.
The speaker’s statement came at a time when there was already more than considerable debate within opposition ranks and among political elites regarding the realignment of Kenya’s political blocs ahead of the 2027 elections. He was very clear; the constituents are “keenly watching” how the political stands of their representatives will change, and he further warned that history will be the one to judge the resisters at the elections.
Those opposed to the initiative will probably lose their seats after the 2027 elections,” Wandayi said, pointing out that the ongoing change in the political scene might actually mean electoral survival. He mentioned the victory of Moses Omondi—a legislator whose triumph he linked to the broad-based government—as material evidence that the alliance is gaining ground and becoming more powerful.
The Cabinet Secretary went beyond just the usual political talk. He branded the more inclusive government as the driving force of development, mentioning the recent state investments in the infrastructure of the Nyanza region, like the inauguration of the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Stadium and the establishment of a new level-5 hospital in Siaya County.
According to Wandayi, these material benefits create a political debt that is due to the present government—one that he claims voters must settle with loyalty at the election. Wandayi maintained that the former ODM leader Raila Odinga’s decision to integrate party partners into President Ruto’s government was a classic move—they said this legacy means the area is now “definitely in government” and thus should not end up being politically isolated by changing the direction.
The warning comes at a time of extreme political changes. People in various regions are openly changing their partnerships. ODM-associated Cabinet Secretaries, including Wandayi, have consistently promised they will stay in the broad-based government despite critics claiming that the coalition is weakening the opposition’s traditional role and is likely to confuse voters with no clear parties come the 2027 elections.
Dissenters within ODM and opposition groups are worried that long-term collaboration with the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition would result in the party losing its unique identity and being cut off from its grassroots supporters.
Recent statements from top party officials indicate that there are differing views within the party about whether to continue with the broad-based approach or take a more combative political posture.
