Raila sends stern warning on populist politics in Kenya
By Luke Oluoch, September 22, 2025Orange Democratic Leader Raila Odinga has warned politicians against following the easy path of populist politics, terming it transient.
Speaking in Machakos during the party’s PG meeting on Monday, September 22, 2025, Odinga warned politicians against choosing the easy path of heckling, stressing that he had been on that path and noted its end product.
He instead implored the leaders to embrace the responsibility of being a leader.
“In times like these, it is possible for politicians to spend more time listening to echoes of their own voices and cheers of the masses and forget that we are leaders and forget that we are supposed to be leading,” he said.
“In times like this, it is possible to be lost in a populist campaign and forget that leading may result to booing instead of cheers. I have been there, I have been cheered and booed,” he stated.
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Recalls being disowned
He recalled being ostracised while advocating for the constitutional review process that birthed the new constitution that all Kenyans now pride in.
“My colleague in parliament once disowned me when, along with KANU, I championed the review of constitution reforms, which formed the basis of the 2010 constitution that many hail today,” he added.
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Raila, who also defended ODM’s decision to join the government, implored the members to stand for what is right for the party.
“I urge you to soldier on this course. It is good for our country,” he posited.
Raila concluded by challenging the ODM PG to be leaders led with convictions, as opposed to mere emotional whims or common trends.
“My appeal to you is that you should never feel powerless as populists around you are seeking popularity at the expense of leadership,” he stated.
“There is time to lead and a time to acknowledge scholars. cheering masses, come change and go but solid service to the nation brough against all odds stands the test of history,” he stated.