Raila Odinga Responds to Ruto’s Cabinet Nominations, Denies Coalition with UDA

In a hurry? Here’s a quick summary…

• Raila Odinga acknowledged President Ruto’s nomination of key ODM members to the Cabinet but denied any coalition agreement with UDA.
• Odinga emphasized that ODM will continue to advocate for compensation to victims, release of detained protesters, and prosecution of culpable police officers.

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga has broken his silence regarding the nomination of key members of his party to the Cabinet by President William Ruto.

In a statement, Odinga acknowledged Ruto’s announcement on Wednesday, noting the President’s decision to appoint John Mbadi (ODM Chairman), Wycliffe Oparanya (ODM Deputy Party Leader), Ali Hassan Joho (ODM Deputy Party Leader), and Opiyo Wandayi (Minority Leader in the National Assembly) to critical Cabinet roles. 

This move has been interpreted by some as a strategic attempt to forge a coalition with ODM.

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Odinga reiterated that neither ODM nor the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition has entered into any coalition agreement with President Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party. 

“We had anticipated the crafting of clear terms of engagement based on issues we raised in our various communiques,” he said.

The former Prime Minister extended his best wishes to the nominees, expressing confidence that they would contribute positively to national development. 

However, he emphasized that the party would continue to advocate for national engagement under specific conditions:

• Compensation for the families of victims of extra-judicial executions and individuals injured by the state since last year.
• Release of all persons in custody related to protests since last year and termination of all related cases.
• Prosecution of policemen involved in shooting to kill or maim protesters.

Odinga affirmed that ODM remains steadfast in upholding its foundational principles of democracy, good governance, and social justice.

While the official stance from ODM denies any coalition, the strategic appointments have led many Kenyans to believe that a collaborative relationship between ODM and the government is emerging.