NAIROBI, KENYA – In a significant political declaration, Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has stated that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) will support President William Ruto’s re-election in 2027, claiming this aligns with the final wishes of the party's late leader, Raila Odinga. Speaking at various public events, Wandayi has pledged unwavering loyalty to the President, framing the decision as a continuation of the broad-based government established by the two leaders.

“We have been instructed by our leader, Raila Amollo Odinga, to work with and support His Excellency President William Ruto, and that is what we are doing,” Wandayi stated during a meeting in Migori in August 2025. He further emphasized the long-term nature of this commitment, adding, “Our support for President Ruto is not ending tomorrow. It is a support that is going to the maximum possible end, and that maximum possible end is 2032.”

Wandayi, a former fierce critic of the administration and the immediate past Minority Leader in the National Assembly, reiterated this stance on multiple occasions. During the national funeral service for Odinga in October 2025, he described President Ruto as a “sincere partner” to Odinga, vowing to honor the late leader's wish for unity. “The only lasting tribute we can pay to Baba and perpetuate his legacy is to strengthen the partnership he began with President William Ruto,” Wandayi said.

Party Leadership Contradicts Cabinet Secretary

Despite the Cabinet Secretary's assertive declarations, the official ODM party leadership has presented a conflicting and more cautious position. Acting party leader Oburu Oginga, who took the helm after his brother's death, has publicly stated that President Ruto’s 2027 re-election does not have automatic support from ODM. Oginga clarified that any backing is conditional on how the President manages the partnership and serves the party's interests within their current working arrangement.

“We are in the broad-based government, but that does not mean we have decided to support the re-election of this government,” Oginga stated in early November 2025. He further distanced the party from statements made by its members serving in the cabinet. “Those of us who are in government like John Mbadi and Opiyo Wandayi, those ones are part of the administration. They are not speaking for our party, the president is their boss,” Oburu clarified on November 3, 2025.

This sentiment is echoed by ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, who has maintained that the party has not adopted an official position on the 2027 election and that the primary goal is to keep the party intact. Before his passing, Raila Odinga himself had set boundaries on the pact, stating in September 2025 that the agreement with Ruto's UDA was strictly limited to the period leading up to the 2027 General Election and did not pre-commit the party to any candidate.

A Pact Under Strain

The divergence highlights the complex political dynamics gripping Kenya following the landmark March 2025 Memorandum of Understanding between then-rivals Ruto and Odinga. The agreement, aimed at easing political tensions, led to the formation of a “broad-based government” that saw several senior ODM figures, including Wandayi, appointed to cabinet positions. This mirrored Odinga's previous political truces, such as the 2018 'handshake' with former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

While proponents like Wandayi argue that working from within the government is the best way to serve the country, the move has created a rift within ODM. Critics within the party worry that the collaboration risks diluting ODM's identity as a strong opposition force and could be a ploy to dissolve the party ahead of the next election cycle. The party's leadership has been forced to reassure its base that ODM will field a presidential candidate in 2027.

As the 2027 election cycle approaches, the conflicting statements from cabinet members and party officials underscore the unresolved questions about the future of the UDA-ODM alliance. While CS Wandayi presents a picture of seamless succession and support, the official party line from Oburu Oginga and Edwin Sifuna indicates a strategic, conditional cooperation. The ultimate decision on whether ODM will back President Ruto, field its own candidate, or seek other alliances remains a subject of intense internal debate, with the party's future direction hanging in the balance in the post-Raila era.