Migori businessman Oketch Salah has fired back at Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga, following her remarks disowning him and distancing both the Odinga family and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) from his political activities.

In a sharp public statement posted on his X account, on Thursday, February 19, 2026, Salah has rejected the claims as inaccurate and defended his close ties to the late Raila Odingaa.

He opened by addressing Ruth directly.

“It is unfortunate that you chose to go before a major media house and make statements that are not accurate,” he wrote.

He made it clear his connection stayed with Raila alone.

“Let me be clear from the outset: if you do not wish to associate with me, that is entirely your choice. I have never forced myself into your life and I have never sought your attention. My relationship was with your late brother, Baba and that relationship stood on its own. It had nothing to do with any other member of the family.”

Salah gave details to support his role during Raila’s time in India.

“For the record, I am the one who convinced Baba to have you join us in India, after Jeff Oyier called him several times saying that you wanted to come. I am also the one who arranged your business class ticket on Emirates.”

He explained why he left early.

“The only reason I returned earlier was because Baba personally asked me to go back to Kenya to conclude my son’s wedding, which had been postponed several times due to his health. I was supposed to meet Baba again in Dubai on Thursday, after his arrival from Kerala.”

He stressed his independence.

“I come from a well-established business family. I am self-sufficient, and you know this. Whatever I have done for ODM was not driven by personal interest; it was done at Baba’s request.”

Salah insisted ODM belongs to Kenyans, not one family.

“ODM does not belong to you, or to me, or to any one family. If it does, then let that be stated openly, and I will step away without hesitation. Baba spent more than 20 years building ODM into a national party. It belongs to the people of Kenya, from every part of this country.”

He warned Ruth about internal fights.

“I also say this with respect: you should stop fighting your elder brother, who is the current party leader. Dr. Oburu Odinga did not simply assume a position; he carries a responsibility, and Baba entrusted me, in good faith, to work with him. If you allow your elder brother to be put on the chopping board today, do not be surprised if tomorrow it is your turn.”

Salah refused to back down on his claims about Raila’s views.

“Regarding what I have said about Baba’s views on the broad-based government and support for His Excellency President William Samoei Ruto’s second term, I will not retract my words. Baba was clear to me that he intended to endorse President Ruto for a second term. I am duty-bound to speak honestly about what he told me, without fear, without distortion and without seeking permission from anyone.”

He ended on a personal note about Raila’s last hours. “Finally, I say this with a heavy heart: I am the one who spent most of Baba’s final moments with him. Those moments were real, painful and deeply personal. I will not allow that truth to be erased or turned into political theatre.” Salah added, “I speak today not out of anger but out of respect for Baba’s memory and for the truth.”

Ruth rejects Salah claims

The row started a day earlier, on February 18, 2026, when Ruth spoke on a local TV. She distanced herself from Salah and questioned his links to the Odinga family. Ruth said she met him only three times.

“I really don’t know him that well. I am one of the people surprised that he says he knows me. In my whole life, I have met Oketch Salah about three times,” she stated.

She criticised him for sharing private talks.

“If at all he was my brother’s friend or son, as he says it, he should have had the integrity that if my brother talked to him and confided in him, he should not have come out to say that my brother told him this and that.”

Ruth asked him to respect their grief.

“I’d like him to please give us space as a family to be a family.” She noted ODM had decided he should not speak for the party since he is not a member. “In the party, we discussed that Oketch Salah is not supposed to be allowed to speak on behalf of the party because he is not a party member.”

On Raila’s final moments, Ruth dismissed Salah’s presence. She said she arrived in India and stayed with her brother until the end.

“By the time I got to India, I never saw him. I am the one who was with my brother when he passed away. So I came when he had already left.”

Raila Odinga died on October 15, 2025 at age 80 in India. He suffered cardiac arrest during a morning walk.

Salah, a businessman from Migori, gained attention in Raila’s last months. He shared updates on Raila’s health and called himself an adopted son, a claim some family members and party figures reject.

Salah faces family backlash

The row follows a series of similar public disputes. Earlier, East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Winnie Odinga also slammed Salah, calling his claims about being present at Raila Odinga’s final moments flat-out lies and questioning his intentions. She said his assertions were false and inappropriate, given the sensitivity surrounding her late father’s death.

Winnie said the statements attributed to Oketch crossed a line and bordered on deliberate misinformation.

“He should be rushed to either Mathare or DCI with immediate effect,” she added.

Her remarks come days after Oketch Salah, an influential figure within ODM, published an emotional tribute in which he described his relationship with the late Raila Odinga.

In his statement shared on X, Oketch claimed he was with Raila from the time he first fell ill until his final moments.

“I was with Baba Raila Odinga from the time he first fell ill until his final moments on earth. That is a fact,” he wrote.