Pauline Njoroge responds to Ruto’s remarks on ODM at Raila’s burial
By David Nthua, October 20, 2025Jubilee Party Deputy Organising Secretary Pauline Njoroge has criticised President William Ruto over his remarks about the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party during the funeral of the late opposition leader Raila Amolo Odinga.
Through a post on her X account on Sunday, October 19, 2025, Njoroge expressed disappointment, saying that the president’s comments appeared to suggest that he intends to control or silence voices within ODM.
Also Watch: President William Ruto views the body of the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga at Kasarani Stadium
She said she had chosen to stay away from political discussions out of respect for Raila, but Ruto’s statements compelled her to respond.
“Out of my deep respect for Baba, I had wanted to keep off politics for now. But my goodness! Did Ruto just say that hatakubalia wale wanataka kuchukua ODM waende wakacheze karata ya opposition? In short, he is declaring that he will silence any dissenting voice within ODM,” Njoroge wrote on X.
The Jubilee official accused the president of hypocrisy, saying that on the same day Raila passed away, he signed the Cybersecurity Bill into law, which she claimed contradicts Raila’s lifelong fight for democratic freedoms.
“No wonder, on the very day Baba died, and Ruto, being fully aware, in total disregard of everything Baba stood for, he signed the Cybersecurity Bill into law. A law that seeks to muzzle the very freedoms Baba fought for all his life,” she wrote.
Njoroge lamented that Kenya had lost a man who embodied freedom and justice, warning that the country was now facing uncertain times under the current regime.
“The man who fought for this country and protected the citizens’ freedom is gone. May God help us as we navigate these uncharted waters under this regime,” she added.
What Ruto said during Raila’s funeral
During Raila’s burial in Bondo, President Ruto urged ODM members to remain united, pledging his support for the party in honour of the late leader.
“I assure ODM members that we will support them, because Baba believed in the multiplicity of parties. The strength of ODM matters to me because it is how we are going to have a strong democracy,” Ruto said.
He added, “ODM will either form the next government or be a part of the next government. What I will not accept, in honour of Odinga, is people playing with ODM to make it an alienated opposition party.”
Njoroge’s remarks have since ignited a heated debate online, with many Kenyans divided over whether Ruto’s comments were a show of respect or political intrusion.