Raila sends passionate appeal to ‘Wantam’ supporters

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has issued a fervent appeal to those advocating for President William Ruto to serve only one term, urging them to grant the broad-based government sufficient space to fulfil its mandate and to withhold judgement until the 2027 General Election.

Speaking during the burial of Phoebe Asiyo on Friday, August 8, 2025, Raila dismissed these cries as distractions lacking substance, affirming that they would not derail the government’s commitment to serving Kenyans.

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“I wish to urge the broad-based government’s detractors to grant us the room we require and to reserve their verdicts for 2027. We have made it clear that this broad-based government will remain in place until the 2027 elections, after which we shall chart the path forward,” Raila declared with conviction.

He underscored that it is the sovereign will of the Kenyan people that will ultimately determine the duration of any leader’s tenure, expressing unwavering confidence that when the time comes, the government will stand before the electorate with transparency, laying bare its achievements and future aspirations.

Raila then likened the ‘Wantam’ chants to the ineffectual croaking of a frog which cannot prevent a cow from drinking water.

“It is Kenyans who will determine the terms, and we shall see where we choose to proceed. Such noise, this ‘Wantam’ clamour, resembles the croaking of a frog; it cannot stop the cow from drinking water. The cow will drink, and we shall certainly move beyond 2027. I hold no doubt about this,” he asserted.

Furthermore, he cautioned against any attempts to fracture the nation by propagating narratives of sectionalism or division along ethnic and regional lines.

In a pointed critique, Raila even addressed the recent ‘cousin’ reference by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua towards the Kamba community, declaring it counterproductive to national unity.

 “We are all Kenyans; do not propagate the fallacy that Kenya is sectionalised. Whether one hails from the coast, the Rift Valley, or the highlands, every Kenyan is integral to the fabric of this nation. This notion of ‘cousins’ does not hold water. Are some Kenyans cousins while others are not? Are those not labelled cousins any less Kenyan?” he questioned emphatically.

The ‘Wantam’ narrative has gained momentum among opposition factions demanding that President Ruto serve a single term, citing perceived shortcomings of his administration.

The term ‘Wantam’ is coined from the phrase ‘one term’.