Kisumu Women Representative and prominent political figure Ruth Odinga has publicly distanced herself from businessman Oketch Salah, following his claims of being close to the late Raila Odinga during his final days in India.
Speaking during a KTN News interview on Wednesday night, February 18, Ruth expressed surprise at Salah’s assertions and emphasized the family’s need for space.
“I’d like him to please give us space as a family to be a family,” Ruth stated.
She explained that within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), party leadership had agreed that Salah, who is not a party member, should not be allowed to speak on behalf of the party.
“I am surprised that I keep seeing him coming out and doing what he does,” she added, signaling her frustration with his public statements.
Ruth also addressed Salah’s claim of being close to Raila in his final moments. She clarified that she was present with her brother in India and never encountered Salah.
“By the time I got to India, I never saw him. I am the one who was with my brother when he passed away. So I came when he had already left,” she said.
Ruth acknowledged she could not speculate on why Salah had left before her arrival, including whether fear of her presence played a role.
Her remarks come amid growing attention on Salah, who has positioned himself as a close confidant of the late ODM leader and has made several public claims linking himself to Raila’s final days.
The businessman has previously suggested a familial and personal bond with the former prime minister, a claim that has generated controversy and skepticism among political observers and Raila’s supporters.
By publicly questioning Salah’s assertions, she appears to be protecting both the late leader’s legacy and the credibility of party structures.
Ruth’s firm response is likely to reinforce ODM’s stance that only party members or officially designated spokespeople are authorized to represent the party publicly.
With the controversy gaining traction online and in media circles, Ruth Odinga’s statements provide a decisive rebuttal to Oketch Salah’s narrative, signaling that the family and the party are united in rejecting external claims about Raila’s private life.