Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi has told members of the Opposition to start charting their new path without Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) in their minds.

Whether Raila clinches the position of African Union Commission chairmanship or not, Mwangangi says, ODM has already bolted out of the Opposition and is determined to reach a working arrangement with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

All indications are that Raila would win the position in elections scheduled for next February, with his ODM realigning to work with President Ruto, he said.

“Though ODM has been sending conflicting signals – daytime they insist they have not entered into any coalition arrangement with UDA, while at night, they are together dining and wining – it is clear that the two are working on a joint 2027 strategy,” claimed Mwangangi, who was addressing journalists in Machakos.

The clearest indication that ODM is working on a coalition arrangement with UDA, Mwangangi opines, is Raila’s nod to some of his close allies to join President Ruto’s Cabinet.

Raila allies

The ODM leader last month allowed the appointment of John Mbadi (National Treasury), Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise), Opiyo Wandayi (Energy and Petroleum) and Ali Hassan Joho (Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs) into the Cabinet.

Before their appointments, Oparanya and Joho held the positions of deputy party leaders in ODM, while Mbadi and Wandayi were chairman and director of political affairs, respectively.

Raila has also publicly declared that his party is set to gain from appointments of some of its members and supporters to positions of Principal Secretary and other government agencies in the next round of government rearrangements.

“There is no way ODM members would oppose policies and issues formulated by their former colleagues who they claim have donated to the government. This in itself is joining the government through the back door,” he said.

With Raila out of Kenyan politics, he says, ODM is no longer interested in fronting anybody for the presidency in 2027 other than President Ruto.

He says that President Ruto has started making forays into Raila’s strongholds with the aim of consolidating them ahead of the 2027 general election.

“Everything [in politics] is well choreographed and when you see people like Joho, Oparanya, Mbadi and Wanday being appointed into government, they are being strategically positioned to play a major role in 2027,” he said.