Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has stated that he never runs out of dialogue ideas, noting that it was the surest way to wiggle out of a crisis.

Speaking during an interview at his Karen residence in Nairobi on Sunday, July 20, 2025, Raila indicated that whenever a country is faced with a crisis, it must engage in dialogue.

“I don’t run out of dialogue because people must talk. When there is a crisis, people must find a solution to the crisis. If you don’t find solutions, you just create anarchy,” Raila said.

Way out of crisis

“That is why we talk about dialogue, and this happens all the time when there is a crisis; people talk.”

“When there is no crisis, is when institutions work. But if the institutions have failed to work, for example, parliament not solving issues and the government not acting the way the people want it to act, and the people are dissatisfied, then they have a right to talk,” Raila stated.

He observed that the only way to exercise Article 1 of the Constitution is through dialogue.

“Our constitution in article one says that the sovereignty of Kenya rests with the people of Kenya; they can exercise it either directly or through their elected representatives,” Raila said.

“But how do 55 million people come together to exercise their sovereignty? This is dialogue. That is when you can talk about ‘we the people of Kenya’ and that is exactly what I am talking about.”

Criticism over dialogue calls

Raila has faced criticism for suggesting a dialogue, with politicians noting that the exercise is a waste of resources and time.

Thirdway Alliance party leader Ekuru Aukot launched a scathing attack on the recent calls for national dialogue by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, dismissing the initiative as futile and a distraction from Kenya’s deeper political rot.

Speaking during an interview on a local TV station on Monday, July 14, 2025, Aukot labelled the much-hyped dialogue forums as a complete waste of time and public resources.

“Raila’s call for dialogue is a diversion, a waste of time and resources. It will achieve nothing.  Kenya’s politics was commercialised a long time ago, and it revolves around the same people,” Aukot said.

“And that is why Kenyans have refused to move away from certain names and personalities. We keep recycling the same leaders and expect different results. That is the definition of insanity.”