Gladys Wanga: We do not have any apologies for supporting dialogue
By Steve Ireri, July 21, 2025Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has firmly defended the decision by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to support national dialogue and cooperate with President William Ruto’s administration, saying that constructive engagement is the only way to move the country forward.
Wanga, while speaking about the current political climate on Monday, July 21, 2025, emphasised that dialogue is the only solution to the challenges facing Kenya and even Africa at large.
She said the country is at a crossroads, with some citizens feeling things are not going well while others believe otherwise, and therefore, sitting down to talk is the most rational step.
“There is no problem in this country and even in Africa that can be solved without dialogue. We are at a crossroads. Some people are feeling things are not going right while others are feeling otherwise. And Raila, our party leader, has proposed the way forward, and he has said let us all sit together and dialogue in a conclave, and we as the ODM party support the dialogue proposal. We will dialogue, and we will continue to dialogue,” Wanga said.
Working with Ruto
The governor further revealed that ODM has developed a comprehensive ten-point agenda, which they intend to pursue while working with President Ruto’s government.
She insisted that this collaboration is in the best interest of the nation and that they owe no one an apology for choosing to support government programs aimed at improving the lives of Kenyans.
“We would also like to say that we have a ten-point agenda and we have agreed to work with President William Ruto and we do not have any apologies, and we will support him and we will support the programs of the government so that we can move our country to the next level,” she added.
Wanga also took a swipe at opposition politics that lack a clear policy direction, noting that the role of the opposition should go beyond personalising issues or demanding that a sitting president vacate office.
She remarked that the opposition must craft a distinct and visionary agenda, rather than merely waking up each day to weary the public with monotonous chants of “Ruto must go.”
“If you are in the opposition, know that the opposition must have an agenda. The opposition cannot be ‘Ruto must go.’ Ruto cannot go without an election because we are in a democratic country,” she said.