Raila: I was against broad-based government
ODM Party leader Raila Odinga has distanced himself from his party’s decision to join President William Ruto’s government under the broad-based administration formed through a memorandum of understanding (MOU).
Speaking during an interview on a local television station on Sunday, July 20, 2025, Raila explained that although he had initially proposed a national dialogue to address the political and economic unrest in the country, it was rejected by the youth-led Gen Z movement.
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“The Gen Zs rejected national dialogue. They said it was a waste of time, it was my idea,” Raila said.
The ODM leader revealed that the idea of forming a broad-based government was later introduced by President Ruto after the public outcry against the controversial Finance Bill and the dissolution of Parliament.
“Then Ruto came up and said that he was going to dissolve Parliament and not sign the Finance Bill. In my view, that was what pricked the balloon,” Raila added.
Raila said that Ruto’s decision to engage other political players in forming a more inclusive government sparked discussions within the opposition coalition Azimio la Umoja.
“Once that happened, Ruto said that he was going to form a government in discussion with other stakeholders. Then we said we don’t want to stay in government until we have a conversation as a people, which did not happen,” he said.
He went on to say that Ruto moved forward with his plan to appoint half of the Cabinet, avoiding a power vacuum, even as the opposition weighed its options.
“Then he said he’ll appoint half a Cabinet so there was no stalemate, which he did,” Raila explained.
Raila clarified that within the Azimio coalition, there were efforts to consult on whether they should participate in the new government setup. However, he opposed the move.
“After that, we tried to consult among ourselves in Azimio if we would participate in something like a broad-based government. I was against it. But eventually, ODM members felt that the government needed experts who were not part of Kenya Kwanza,” he noted.
ODM in government
The deal between ODM and President Ruto’s administration led to the formation of a broad-based government, a political arrangement intended to bring together various stakeholders and experts across the divide to help the country move forward after weeks of nationwide protests.
Under this agreement, ODM members were appointed to strategic roles in government, a move that sparked criticism from many Kenyans who viewed the party’s participation as a betrayal of its opposition mandate. Critics have accused ODM of abandoning the struggle against unpopular government policies, especially the Finance Bill 2024, which was widely opposed across the country.
