Raila Odinga is once again doing what he does best—straddling both sides of the political divide like a man testing the water with one foot while keeping the other firmly on dry land.

For the veteran politician whose career has been defined by firm, often firebrand opposition, his recent cozying up to President William Ruto’s administration has left even his most die-hard supporters confused.

Raila on Tuesday insisted that he has not abandoned his political stance, but if that were the case, why does his party, ODM, now have a formal cooperation pact with the ruling UDA?

He wants Kenyans to believe he is still the same fearless opposition leader fighting against Ruto’s punitive tax policies, yet he is also in a relationship with the very system implementing them.

Raila bashes the Housing Levy and excessive taxation but still says the policies need to be sorted, and they can’t be addressed if he is not involved.

That sounds like someone trying to have his cake and eat it too. If you’re against something, you oppose it outright—you don’t sit at the same table with its architects and hope to fix it from within.

History is replete with such moves. In 2018, Raila pulled a similar stunt with a handshake with Uhuru Kenyatta. What started as a deal for national unity quickly turned into a full-blown political alliance that sidelined his longtime allies and paved the way for his failed 2022 presidential bid.

Now, history seems to be repeating itself, only this time, he’s navigating a more skeptical electorate—one that saw Gen Z protesters take the lead in challenging the government while he watched from the sidelines.

The grumbling within his camp is not only heavy, but also telling. Just days ago, he was heckled in Kisii, a region that has historically been a stronghold for him. It’s a clear sign that the ground is shifting.

His supporters are no longer willing to blindly follow him if he keeps sending mixed signals. They need clarity. Is he still the opposition leader who will fight for them, or is he slowly morphing into an insider under the guise of a bipartisan engagement?

Politics is about choices, and Raila must make his. He cannot be the government’s critic and its unofficial partner at the same time.

If he wants to work with Ruto, he should own it fully. If he wants to fight from the outside, he should do so with the unwavering conviction for which he is celebrated.