Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga has publicly distanced the Odinga family from controversial figure Oketch Salah, questioning his claims of closeness to opposition leader Raila Odinga and urging him to respect the family’s privacy.
Speaking during an interview on KTN News on Wednesday night, Ruth Odinga said she barely knows Salah, despite his repeated assertions that he had a close relationship with her and her brother.
Her remarks come amid growing controversy over Salah’s public statements in which he has suggested he was privy to private conversations with the veteran opposition leader.
The claims have drawn criticism from sections of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and family members who argue he lacks the authority to speak on Raila’s behalf.
Ruth Odinga emphasized that if Salah had indeed shared a personal relationship with Raila, he should have exercised discretion regarding private discussions.
“If at all he was my brother’s friend or son, as he says it, he should have had the integrity that if my brother talked to him and confided in him, he should not have come out to say that my brother told him this and that,” she stated.
She further appealed for respect and space for the family, noting that the matter had also been discussed within ODM party structures.
“I’d like him to please give us space as a family to be a family. In the party, we discussed that Oketch Salah is not supposed to be allowed to speak on behalf of the party because he is not a party member. I am surprised that I keep seeing him coming out and doing what he does,” she added.
The remarks signal a firm position from both the Odinga family and ODM leadership regarding who is authorized to represent the party and speak on Raila’s affairs.