Rarieda MP Otiendo Omollo has dismissed emerging claims that the late ODM leader Raila Odinga privately endorsed a long-term political deal committing the party to support President William Ruto beyond the 2027 elections.
Speaking on Saturday, Omollo cautioned Kenyans to rely solely on Raila’s documented public pronouncements rather than alleged confidential conversations being circulated by various individuals.
Omollo noted that a range of political actors had begun attributing positions to Raila, especially following his death, despite having no established proximity to the former Prime Minister.
He stressed that no one should claim authority to speak about supposed private directives.
According to him, Raila only affirmed that ODM would cooperate with the Kenya Kwanza administration until the end of the current term.
The MP explained that any decisions about ODM’s future alliances would be made by the party’s existing leadership through formal structures.
He stated that Raila did not bind the party to any commitments past 2027, and any such narrative was misleading. Omollo added that ODM’s position in the coalition places it in a significant role ahead of upcoming political negotiations.
“People Raila never even spoke to are suddenly claiming he whispered to them about 2027 and beyond,” Omollo said, urging the public to treat such assertions with caution.
He added that ODM retains full freedom to determine whether or not it will work with President Ruto after the next election cycle.
The remarks come at a time when Kenya’s political environment is adjusting to the absence of Raila, a figure who influenced party alliances and national politics for decades.
ODM, long known for its opposition stance, entered into a working arrangement with the government after the 2022 election disputes and has since played a collaborative role on selected national matters.
Omollo reiterated that ODM expects to be a central player if the coalition agreement evolves ahead of 2027, including discussions about senior leadership positions.
He said such conversations fall within structured party negotiations, not individual claims about Raila’s alleged private intentions.