Political analyst Herman Manyora has warned the united opposition leaders against dismissing former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s support for President William Ruto in 2027.

Speaking on his channel on Saturday, September 14, 2025, the analyst told opposition leaders eyeing the presidency that although Raila might not deliver votes to the same magnitude he secured for himself in 2022, he would still gather a significant number of votes necessary for Ruto to win.

“Raila might not deliver the votes he got for himself to William Ruto, but make no mistake, Raila will deliver two things. One is votes; he can’t transfer all his votes to William Ruto, but he will certainly deliver some votes to him. Dismiss him at your own peril,” Manyora cautioned.

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He went further to warn them against overlooking Raila’s long-standing influence in politics.

According to Manyora, if Raila joins hands with Ruto, who is also a master strategist and a lethal politician who secured power in 2022, the duo might spell doom for the opposition.

“The second thing is that Raila is a politician par excellence. He is a master player in politics, and Ruto is another political master. If Ruto wasn’t that kind of player, how would he be president today? If you combine the two, you won’t have a walkover,” he noted.

Ruto-Raila combination

Manyora also criticised opposition leaders for their continued jabs at Raila, claiming he cannot deliver votes for Ruto in 2027.

He insisted that overlooking the combination of Raila and Ruto, both seasoned political heavyweights, would be a grave mistake.

“That combination between Raila and Ruto is lethal. Dismiss it at your own peril. If you are a person who wants to unseat Ruto and you dismiss Raila, the way I am hearing, then you are being naive,” he warned.

According to Manyora, Raila’s political strength should never be underestimated. Should he decide to combine efforts with Ruto, it could mean an early win for the president.

This warning comes at a time when united opposition leaders have joined forces, hoping to unseat President Ruto in 2027.

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They have been holding a series of boardroom meetings aimed at laying the necessary structures to shape their coalition, which they are expected to unveil soon.