![\"Why](\"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/77777-300x150.jpg\")
<\/p>\nKisumu 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 \u2014 and to carry forward the political torch left behind by her late brother, Raila Odinga.<\/p>\n
Speaking in Kisumu on Wednesday, November 12, Ruth said nothing bars her from seeking the country\u2019s top seat under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the party her brother built over two decades into one of Kenya\u2019s most formidable political forces.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing stops me from contesting for the presidency. I have all it takes,\u201d she told reporters. \u201cBut first, I want to see a vibrant ODM that is a safe space for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ruth\u2019s 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\u2019s 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 \u2014 or redefine it.<\/p>\n
Ruth dismissed talk that ODM had been left \u201corphaned\u201d without its longtime leader, calling such claims a betrayal of Raila\u2019s legacy. \u201cI have never seen a Luo who proudly calls himself an orphan and expects sympathy,\u201d she said. \u201cEven 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\u2019t recoil into an orphan\u2019s corner.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also pushed back against recent calls from some ODM lawmakers \u2014 including MPs Sam Atandi (Alego Usonga), Jared Okello (Nyando), and Mark Nyamita (Uriri) \u2014 who have urged the Luo community to cooperate with President William Ruto\u2019s administration. Ruth said such statements weaken the party\u2019s resolve and diminish its role as a check on government power.<\/p>\n
\u201cPoverty in your brother\u2019s home cannot make you lose sleep,\u201d she said. \u201cOur situation will not make President Ruto lose sleep. We must come out with a strong voice.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2019s Kenya Kwanza alliance, others \u2014 like Ruth \u2014 insist that ODM should rebuild itself as an independent, reform-driven opposition force.<\/p>\n
During Raila\u2019s funeral on October 19, Ruth said her brother had given her a final message to deliver: that ODM must remain united and strong. \u201cHe told me the day before he passed on that ODM must be united and it must be strong,\u201d she said. \u201cWe cannot be having groups within the party. The party belongs to all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The remarks underscore her growing visibility within ODM\u2019s leadership ranks \u2014 and hint at a possible realignment in Kenyan politics ahead of 2027.<\/p>\n
Ruth, a former Kisumu deputy governor and longtime party organizer, has often operated in her brother\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
For ODM, her declaration may also serve as a rallying call \u2014 a message that, despite grief and uncertainty, the movement Raila built can still dream of power.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must move forward,\u201d she said. \u201cODM is not finished. It\u2019s our home \u2014 and our future.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga has signaled her readiness to vie for the presidency in 2027, saying she has the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4220,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ruth-Odinga.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4219","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4219"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4219\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4222,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4219\/revisions\/4222"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}