Analysts are now warning former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) that it could be shooting itself in the foot through its association with President William Ruto’s government.

Prof Gitile Naituli, a political analyst and a lecturer at the Multimedia University in Nairobi warns that should ODM decide to front her own candidates in the 2027 General Election, it would find it rough to dissociate itself from the ills committed by the administration.

Praise singers
“The more people associated with ODM sing praises to clearly-corrupt deals in government, the more the public perception remains that ODM is part of the looting of the state,” Prof Naituli warns.

The university don warned that President Ruto is likely to use and dump the ODM brigade before the 2027 General Election once he is assured of winning.

The don cited the case of Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, who was left red-faced with Ruto’s sudden about-turn on the Adani deals.

On Tuesday, Mining and Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Ali Hassan Joho expressed outrage over government critics and vowed to act against social media users using the internet to vilify Ruto’s administration.

Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi, an ally of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, has described these critics-turned-praise singers of behaving like the real owners of Kenya Kwanza.

The Machakos deputy boss says the speed at which some of Raila’s allies have turned into Ruto’s ardent supporters and defenders represents a growing reality: that in Kenyan politics, the lines between the opposition and the government are often blurred, and allegiances are less about ideology.