Baringo Youths Explode in Rage: “Raila, Don’t Sell Us to Ruto!”
Young people from Baringo County have strongly advised Raila Odinga not to form an alliance with President William Ruto.
A video shared by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General, Edwin Sifuna, shows a group of youths urging him to pass a message to Raila, asking him not to collaborate with Ruto.
Their concerns come amid reports that Raila and Ruto are working on a political agreement ahead of the 2027 elections.
While taking photos with Sifuna, the youths made their stance clear, saying, “Tell Raila not to join Ruto.” Sifuna, who was attending the burial of Baringo Senator William Cheptumo in Bartabwa, Baringo County, on Saturday, listened to their plea.
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At one point, the Nairobi Senator stopped to ensure he heard them correctly, asking them to repeat their statement. The group responded in unison, emphasizing, “We don’t want him to join Ruto.”
President Ruto was also present at the burial. Reports from Nation suggest that he is willing to allocate up to 50 percent of Cabinet positions and additional government roles to Raila in an effort to secure his support.
According to Kenyans.co.ke, Ruto and Raila recently held a midweek meeting at State House in Mombasa, where they finalized most aspects of their agreement. The official announcement could be made soon.
Sources indicate that Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, Minority Leader Junet Mohamed, and other top officials were present during the discussions.
Meanwhile, Raila has been meeting with his supporters in Western and Nyanza regions, holding consultations to discuss the potential alliance. He has hinted at making a major announcement soon.
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To gain support for this move, Raila has held several town hall meetings, explaining that working with Ruto’s government would be in the country’s best interest.
Since returning from his unsuccessful bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson position, Raila and Ruto have shown signs of political alignment. This comes despite some ODM members still considering Raila as a possible presidential candidate for 2027.
Ruto has emphasized the need for unity, stating, “We must come together and focus on what we can do for Kenya… We need everyone’s input to achieve this mission and vision.”
Raila has also shown willingness to cooperate, saying, “We are ready to serve Africa, but more importantly, we are committed to helping Kenya.”
Signs suggest that Raila is open to working with Ruto, which could give him influence similar to what he had during the 2008 coalition government.
Currently, several former ODM leaders hold key positions in Ruto’s government, including Opiyo Wandayi (Energy and Petroleum), John Mbadi (National Treasury and Economic Planning), Hassan Joho (Mining and Blue Economy), Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives and MSMEs), and Beatrice Askul Moe (East African Community).
Baringo Youths Explode in Rage: “Raila, Don’t Sell Us to Ruto!”