Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga has signaled her readiness to vie for the presidency in 2027, saying she has the experience and determination to lead Kenya — and to carry forward the political torch left behind by her late brother, Raila Odinga.
Speaking in Kisumu on Wednesday, November 12, Ruth said nothing bars her from seeking the country’s top seat under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the party her brother built over two decades into one of Kenya’s most formidable political forces.
“Nothing stops me from contesting for the presidency. I have all it takes,” she told reporters. “But first, I want to see a vibrant ODM that is a safe space for everyone.”
Ruth’s remarks come at a time of soul-searching for ODM and opposition community after the death of Raila Odinga, a towering opposition figure who shaped Kenya’s democratic struggle and presidential politics for decades. His passing left a vacuum in both the party and the broader opposition movement, triggering speculation about who might inherit his mantle — or redefine it.
Ruth dismissed talk that ODM had been left “orphaned” without its longtime leader, calling such claims a betrayal of Raila’s legacy. “I have never seen a Luo who proudly calls himself an orphan and expects sympathy,” she said. “Even in the days of Gor Mahia and Lwanda Magere, we were known to be fighters. When a leader goes down, another must rise. We don’t recoil into an orphan’s corner.”
She also pushed back against recent calls from some ODM lawmakers — including MPs Sam Atandi (Alego Usonga), Jared Okello (Nyando), and Mark Nyamita (Uriri) — who have urged the Luo community to cooperate with President William Ruto’s administration. Ruth said such statements weaken the party’s resolve and diminish its role as a check on government power.
“Poverty in your brother’s home cannot make you lose sleep,” she said. “Our situation will not make President Ruto lose sleep. We must come out with a strong voice.”
Her comments reflect growing tensions within ODM as members debate how to reposition the party in a post-Raila era. While some leaders are calling for collaboration with Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza alliance, others — like Ruth — insist that ODM should rebuild itself as an independent, reform-driven opposition force.
During Raila’s funeral on October 19, Ruth said her brother had given her a final message to deliver: that ODM must remain united and strong. “He told me the day before he passed on that ODM must be united and it must be strong,” she said. “We cannot be having groups within the party. The party belongs to all of us.”
The remarks underscore her growing visibility within ODM’s leadership ranks — and hint at a possible realignment in Kenyan politics ahead of 2027.
Ruth, a former Kisumu deputy governor and longtime party organizer, has often operated in her brother’s shadow but is now emerging as one of the few Odingas positioned to claim a national political role. Her possible presidential run would mark the first time a woman from the Luo community seeks the presidency under a major party ticket.
For ODM, her declaration may also serve as a rallying call — a message that, despite grief and uncertainty, the movement Raila built can still dream of power.
“We must move forward,” she said. “ODM is not finished. It’s our home — and our future.”
