Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda has contradicted ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna’s assertion that the party does not and will not support President William Ruto’s re-election bid in 2027.

Ojienda appearing in an interview with a local TV station alongside Sifuna on Thursday, February 20, 2025, argued that ODM’s involvement in government signals an inevitable shift in political alignments.

According to Ojienda, the fact that top ODM leaders secured key government positions suggests that the opposition party is already part of the ruling administration. He pointed out ODM figures like Opiyo Wandayi, John Mbadi, Hassan Joho, and Wycliffe Oparanya who are actively serving in executive roles.

“The top leadership of ODM went into government and took positions of executive nature; we have Opiyo Wandayi, John Mbadi, Hassan Joho and Wycliffe Oparanya and they are doing a good job in their capacity. ODM therefore is squarely in government. And I will make a prophecy, Raila will come back and will support Ruto for 2027 and we will support the president. A reelection is sure,” Ojienda declared.

He further predicted that ODM party leader Raila Odinga will eventually rally behind President Ruto in 2027 as a gesture of appreciation for the support he received during his campaign for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson position.

He noted that among all African leaders, Ruto was the most committed supporter of Raila’s AUC bid, even more than the other Heads of States supported their own candidates.

“What matters here is the aftermath of the AUC election. The aftermath is Raila will come back and wish the president well. I am sure that Raila will reciprocate the support that he was given in Addis Ababa. No president, not even the Djiboutian president supported their own candidates with the same strength and focus as our president,” Ojienda noted.

Ojienda emphasized that Ruto’s strategic focus should be on consolidating support from key voting blocs, including Western Kenya, Nyanza, Rift Valley, North Eastern, and Mount Kenya regions, to secure an easy victory.

“All President Ruto needs to do is ensure he brings together Western and Nyanza regions. Even if there are blocks that will not for him, the Rift Valley will also vote for him, the North Eastern block will vote for him and we have the bits and pieces of the eastern block and of course, there is still the Mount Kenya block and East Mount Kenya block. I do not know why Sifuna thinks that there is a candidate who can defeat Ruto,” he said.

Addressing the opposition’s attempts to form an alternative alliance, Ojienda dismissed them as a weak and leaderless coalition incapable of challenging Ruto’s re-election. He insisted that no other candidate, including former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, or DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa, has the numbers to pose a credible threat to Ruto.

“Therefore, no candidate can defeat Ruto; neither Gachagua, Kalonzo, nor Wamalwa. They are trying to ally, in fact, a leaderless alliance. The leaderless formation cannot measure up to what we know as numbers,” he added.

Sifuna

On his part, Sifuna dismissed speculation that the party is attempting to balance its stance between the government and opposition. He reaffirmed ODM’s unwavering loyalty to Raila.

Sifuna expressed confidence that ODM legislators who have publicly backed President William Ruto will ultimately follow Raila’s lead when he makes his next political move.

The firebrand senator further argued that President Ruto’s chances of securing re-election remain slim, even if ODM were to rally behind him.

“Even if ODM supports Ruto, he will still lose. As a party we do not support either the internal affairs or the external affairs of the way this country is being run. William Ruto will lose that election with Raila’s support,” he said.

Meanwhile, political uncertainty looms following Raila Odinga’s unsuccessful bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship. His return to the local political scene has sparked widespread debate on whether he will maintain his opposition role or align himself with Ruto, who had actively lobbied for his AUC candidacy.