ODM is not in government; Raila

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga during a previous address. [File, Standard]

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga says the ODM party has neither joined or entered any political alliance with President William Ruto. 

Raila dismissed rumors suggesting that ODM had aligned itself with the government, calling them baseless misinformation. 

“I want to be on record. There is no such alliance, as ODM has not entered into any political coalition with President William Ruto’s government,” said Raila.

Instead, he emphasized the need for continued dialogue across the country on constitutional reforms and addressing concerns raised by the youth during recent demonstrations.

“ODM remains firmly in its position as an opposition party and within Azimio. We are not in coalition with Kenya Kwanza,” he added.

Raila defended the decision to allow five top ODM officials to join President Ruto’s administration, saying that it was at the request of the Kenya Kwanza government for expert assistance, which ODM provided. 

“They asked for experts from ODM to help them in certain areas. We released them, but that does not mean we joined the Kenya Kwanza government,” said Raila.

Raila also addressed his political future, denying rumors of retirement. 

“I am not retiring from politics. I will take a short rest and then come back to politics,” he affirmed.

He further called for the swift reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to enable the conduct of by-elections nationwide. Raila confirmed that ODM would support the re-election of former Magarini MP Harry Kombe, who lost his seat through a court petition.