Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo has dismissed claims that President William Ruto could speak on behalf of ODM or be its candidate in 2027, amid reports that some party members are warming up to the idea of Ruto running under the ODM banner.
In an interview on a local radio station on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, Omollo said the ODM party is now focused on unity and beefing up its turf for the upcoming polls and its future following the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
It is worth noting that during the state funeral of Raila Odinga at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Ruto said that the party will either form the next government or be part of it.
“It is my understanding. There is no way President William Ruto, who is the leader of UDA, can then speak for ODM, which is, for all intents and purposes, a party in competition with UDA,” the MP stated.
This comes even as the future of the ODM party in the post-Raila Odinga era remains a topic of active internal discussion, with a section of members asserting that the party must maintain its identity and autonomy even as it supports the broader government structure.
On the other hand, a group of the party’s members has already pledged to work with Ruto even beyond the 2027 polls, ramping up support for his candidate under the ODM ticket.
But the legislator has clarified that their involvement in the broad-based government should not be confused with political surrender.
“We are in the broad-based government because the government is UDA, but we as ODM have come and lent support to UDA by donating our experts. If we were to be weakened to the point that we do not have a strong voice, then we would not have a party,” he explained.
For instance, Kisii Governor Simba Arati has extended an unexpected olive branch to the Head of State, urging him to rejoin ODM, the faction of which he was a founding member.
Which way, ODM?
Speaking on Monday, October 20, 2025, at the Mashujaa Day celebrations in Kisii, Arati, who also serves as ODM’s Deputy Party Leader, stated that if Ruto rejoins the party, he will be considered its flag bearer in the 2027 race.
“The President yesterday said he is going to ensure that ODM remains the party it is. I want to urge him today, Mheshimiwa Ruto, you were a founding member of ODM. How I wish that you would come back to your former party,” Arati said.
“If you came back to ODM, then we would have you as our flag bearer. If you came back, we would fulfil the promise Baba had a vision for.”
Despite the backlash and glaring internal rift within the late Raila-led faction, what is its future?
Otiende Amollo emphasised that regardless of whether ODM chooses to field a candidate, back Ruto, or invite him under their ticket in 2027, the party’s survival and strength must come first.
“Whether we decide to support William Ruto in 2027 by not having a candidate or whether we decide to have a candidate to run against William Ruto, the first thing that must be done is that ODM must be strong as a party and not be swallowed by UDA or any other party. Certainly, the president cannot, for now, be the spokesperson for ODM,” he asserted.
