ODM leaders' joining of Ruto Cabinet should reawaken the opposition

President William Ruto recently incorporated names of opposition leaders in his proposed new Cabinet. On the list are Orange Democratic Movement’s (ODM) two deputy party leaders Wycliffe Oparanya and Hassan Joho, Leader of Minority in Parliament Opiyo Wandayi and John Mbadi, the chairman of ODM.

The inclusion of ODM members in the Cabinet poses a threat to Azimio la Umoja’s survival as Kenya’s main opposition coalition. Martha Karua, leader of NARC, has officially withdrawn from Azimio while Wiper and the Democratic Action Party, including Jubilee, have castigated ODM, while distancing themselves from the new development. 

Dr Ruto was constrained to dismiss his Cabinet under the Kenya Kwanza government recently following protests and demands by the youths popularly known as Gen Z. They first demanded the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024, which Ruto acceded to and later the total overhaul of the Cabinet, citing rampant corruption as the main driver of their demands.

The law does not envisage a situation where the opposition becomes part and parcel of the government. Viable oppositions play a very critical role in governance, keeping the government of the day in check and accountable while acting as the voice of the majority whose interests must be taken care of. Over the years, Kenya’s opposition role has been watered down by its going to bed with the government.

The necessity of a coalition government in 2008 cannot be gainsaid. The post-2007 election chaos that resulted in the deaths of 1,300 people and displacement of more than half a million Kenyans called for a tough solution, and a coalition government was the best possible solution that could stop the descent into total anarchy. 

When Raila mended fences with President Uhuru Kenyatta in March 2018 through a handshake, the opposition got defanged and, curiously, a faction within the government, ‘Kieleweke’,  became the unofficial opposition under the leadership of then Deputy President William Ruto. 

Today, Ruto has chosen to go down that same route to ensure the survival of his government in the face of threats posed by Gen Z. The opposition has been flagging over the years. No doubt, that was the biggest reason Gen Z came together to fill the void. In just a couple of weeks, this age cohort has achieved more than the weak opposition has done in decades.

With Raila’s eyes set on the AUC and the entire top leadership of ODM in Ruto’s cabinet, it is time for fresh leadership to step into the opposition role and execute that mandate diligently. Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka has promised to step into those shoes, enforce accountability in government, and speak for ordinary citizens. He should join forces with like-minded people to keep the government on its toes.

When a government becomes complacent, with hardly any reason to look over its shoulder, taxpayers suffer the most since their money gets lost through corruption. Kenya needs a strong, functional and assertive opposition to enforce accountability.