ODM Party leader Raila Odinga has lamented the state of Kenya’s economy, noting that while the Asian tigers were at par with the country at independence, the nation has lagged behind.

Speaking during a series of events at the State House on Thursday, May 8, 2025, Raila exuded confidence that Kenya still stands a chance at being the regional economic power in East and Central Africa, if the right decisions are made.

“Kenya is in a very critical stage of development. We require knowledge to be able to uplift our country from the status of a third-world economy to a first-world economy,” Raila said.

“It can be done. We know of countries which have travelled the same route. In 1983, when we got our independence, the economy of our country and that of South Korea were almost equal in terms of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in terms of per capita income, levels of literacy and in the levels of poverty.”

Left behind

The ODM Party leader, who has contested for the presidency and lost several times, indicated that the country could still leapfrog into a major economic powerhouse.

“60 years later, there is a huge gap between Kenya and South Korea. You ask yourself, what did the Koreans get right that Kenyans got wrong? If you can solve that question, then you are on the way to finding a solution to Kenya’s problems,” Raila observed.

“I believe strongly that it is possible for us to do so, and that is why I have never stopped being committed to helping our people to come back to the course.”

Adding: “As a country, we need to be a leader in our region. We have a huge market around our country and in East and Central Africa. If we get our equations right, then there is no reason why we cannot leapfrog and be able to catch up with countries that have gone ahead of us.”

Working agreement

Raila challenged President William Ruto to make the right choices in transforming the country into a prosperous nation, given their agreement to work together.

Two months ago, on March 7, 2025, Raila’s ODM Party and Ruto’s ruling Kenya-Kwanza coalition entered into a working partnership with the aim of solving the persistent political and economic challenges facing the country.

The agreement came after a host of members of the ODM party were co-opted into the government as experts and appointed into the cabinet and other senior positions.

“For Kenya to realise its full potential, we must discard old superficial rivalries and embrace a unifying vision,” Ruto said during the signing of the working agreement at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).

However, the agreement has run into internal rough waters, with Raila Odinga’s men, including ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna and Siaya Governor James Orengo, challenging the arrangement.