Yatta MP Basil Ngui has stated that President William Ruto cannot afford a fallout with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his ODM party.

Speaking during a TV interview on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, Ngui remarked that the survival of Ruto and the Kenya-Kwanza lies in a close working relationship with Raila.

“For him (Ruto) to survive, he needs ODM more than before. For that coalition to remain, the demands of ODM will continue to increase; and with the failed African Union Commission bid, Raila will come with additional demands and in principle, the president will not say no,” Ngui stated.

Betrayed Gen Zs

The MP equally observed that Raila was perceived to have betrayed the Gen Zs when he joined forces with Ruto after the protests which culminated in a brief occupation of parliament by the protesting youth.

“The agitation for the Gen Zs was not for a broad-based government. They wanted austerity measures, good governance, an end to graft and unnecessary wastage of government resources,” Ngui added.

“The president had no choice but to heed the demands but fortunately or unfortunately, Raila joined and the whole equation changed and that was the beginning of additional demands.”

With Raila’s inclusion in the government albeit without a formal agreement, several ranking political leaders in the administration have expressed concerns on how much ground should be ceded to accommodate him.

ODM selfish?

Mbeere North MP Geoffrey Ruku on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, indicated that ODM was being selfish in demanding for other positions in government as they have already been offered enough.

“As far as the chairmanship of the budget committee is concerned, I strongly oppose this position going to the opposition,” Ruku noted.

“It is a broad-based government but also Ford-Kenya and other parties were part of this arrangement. It is not broad-based with only one political party. We cannot antagonize other political parties so that one party may be excessively accommodated,” he added.

“From where I sit, I don’t support that push for ODM to have the position of chairperson of the budget committee. We have some regional dynamics which will affect some part of our political base if it goes the ODM way.”

Ngui, however, maintains that for the pact between Raila and Ruto to remain, the leaders have no choice but to embrace Raila.

“The Kenya-Kwanza brigade has no choice but to embrace Raila within the broad-based government with demands. If there is a fallout, the opposition will remain solid,” Ngui stated.