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You can’t go to Singapore without power: Oburu stirs excitement at Ruto’s event
20th March, 2026 04:08 PM
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Oburu Odinga caused excitement at the Eid al-Fitr luncheon hosted by President William Ruto at the State Lodge in Kisumu on Friday, March 20, 2026.
Oburu, who graced the event alongside other leaders, delivered a speech in which he blended humour with mastery of the political landscape to address the political developments in the country.
The Siaya Senator emphasised his party’s quest for power, insisting that ODM is on track to achieve its ambitions under Ruto.
Oburu highlighted the developments witnessed in the region under President William Ruto, citing projects such as the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway to Malaba via Kisumu as an indication that Kenya is on the right path.
“This is the way to go to Singapore. You cannot go to Singapore when you don’t have power,” Oburu stated with the crowd cheering him on in Kisumu on Friday, March 20, 2026.
Oburu: I won’t look for shareholders
Taking a dig at the opposition and using a phrase popularised by Rigathi Gachagua, Oburu confirmed that he is solidly behind Ruto.
“We are sitting down here with power. How can I leave power to go and look after shareholders and people who are dividing this country into shareholding,” he added.
In reference to the recent salvos fired by the president targeting the opposition, Oburu praised Ruto, stating that he was not familiar with the arsenal that the president had in his store.
He claimed that Ruto left people crying after unleashing his political arsenal in a series of salvos that stirred the nation, with some noting that his conduct was not presidential.
“Mr President, I know that you have been abused for a long time, and you kept those guns. I didn’t know that you were keeping them somewhere. Now you have released them, and people are crying. I don’t know why it is sweet when you are the one being attacked, but when you release your arsenal, they start claiming that it is unpresidential,” he remarked.
What Ruto said
The ODM leader was referring to Ruto’s recent remarks advising opposition leaders to focus on their body weight, accusing them of eating to a point where they sleep in meetings.
“Kwanza nawaambia baadhi yenu mwende gym; acheni kula chakula kingi. Matumbo yamejaa hadi vichwa vinakaribia kupasuka. Mnalala kwenye mikutano hata mchana,” Ruto said in Cheptais, Mt. Elgon, on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
Jubilee Party presidential candidate Fred Matiang’i was among the opposition leaders who fired back at President Ruto, accusing him of being unpresidential. On the other hand, Gachagua celebrated Ruto’s outburst, claiming that he had cornered him.
