Governance and foreign policy expert Ahmed Hashi has tipped Raila Odinga to rise to the prime minister position in William Ruto’s government after losing the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship race.

Speaking during an interview on a local TV station on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, Hashi, who predicted Raila’s fall in the race, made yet another bold declaration of Raila returning to the Prime Minister role he previously held in 2008 under a power-sharing deal with the Mwai Kibaki’s government.

In his assertions, Hashi has pointed out that President Ruto’s dwindling support across the country has rendered him desperate to cling to Raila’s support as he seeks to extend his term beyond 2027.

Hashi further disclosed how Odinga could prove pivotal in helping Ruto tame the influence of the Gen Zs, a force he reckons has been a headache for not only the president but the entire political class in the country.

No doubt

“I can tell you for a fact that Odinga is going to become a prime minister. There is no doubt about that,” Hashi said.

 “The reason is because Ruto has no constituents to vote for him right now. He is in a position where he has to defeat and quell the Gen Z force and influence and that is where he needs Raila to come. Forget about the other political debates on Mt Kenya, the lake or Mungiki, you are hearing in this country. The transformation of the Gen Zs is the most dangerous thing the political class has ever encountered,” he said.

The experts’s remarks coincide with emerging calls for the inclusion of Raila in government. Though the topic remains divisive among the members of the political class, the pro-Odinga inclusion faction in government has referenced the leverage of his expertise on political matters and political antennae as crucial.

Calls for Odinga’s inclusion

On Monday, February 17, 2025, Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei and Belgut MP Nelson Koech reignited discussions around creating a prime minister’s position for ODM party leader Raila Odinga, following his recent loss in the AUC chairperson race.

“We must now fully implement the NADCO Report by amending the Constitution 2010 by creating the office of the Prime Minister (PM) and allowing Rt. Hon. Baba Raila Odinga to serve Kenyans in that capacity,” Cherargei wrote.

The Senator emphasized the importance of utilizing Raila’s experience in Kenya’s governance structure.

“We cannot allow such brilliant leadership and experience to go waste the way Africa Union did it. This is the only way we can appreciate and reward him for his fight for the rule of law and democracy in Kenya,” he added.

“We must now fully implement the NADCO Report by amending the Constitution 2010 by creating the office of the Prime Minister (PM) and allowing Rt. Hon. Baba Raila Odinga to serve Kenyans in that capacity,” Cherargei wrote.

The Senator emphasized the importance of utilizing Raila’s experience in Kenya’s governance structure.