ODM will support Ruto's 2027 re-election bid - Senator Ojienda

Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda says the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) will support President William Ruto’s re-election bid in 2027, even as the party holds that it has not decided on a plan.

“In 2027, ODM will support William Ruto for the presidency. That you can take to the bank,” Ojienda said in a Thursday interview on Citizen TV’s Daybreak program.

He cited the ten-point agenda anchoring ODM and Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA)’s March 2025 political agreement, and the top positions ODM leader Raila Odinga’s allies now hold in government after the two rivals teamed up last year.

“ODM and UDA are converging; otherwise, there would be no need for committees that we have seen, a 10-point agenda, entrenching ODM and its cabinet secretaries in government to work closely with President Ruto if the intention is to ship out,” the senator said.

“The intention is to go in and remain in government. ODM will remain in government for a long, long time.”

Odinga, who has unsuccessfully run for the presidency five times, has remained tight-lipped about his plans for 2027. He on Monday hinted at the possibility of fronting a candidate in the 2027 race, but urged members to remain mum until ODM officially pronounces itself on its next move.

"Don't commit the party to some things that have not been discussed. Who told you ODM does not have a candidate in 2027?" Odinga said at the party's 20th anniversary celebrations.

"We have a clear plan that we have agreed on, and let us implement it. Other decisions will be made when the time comes."

“In the end, I am sure Raila Odinga… will want the best for William Ruto and this government,” he said.

He said discussions on the coalition’s election strategy are ongoing and may involve negotiations around positions such as the National Assembly Speaker, adding that the ultimate goal is to secure Ruto a second term.

“The discussions are going on… There isn’t yet a firm position on the formula. That formula will include a clear agenda on how ODM will approach the election,” he said, dismissing the opposition Odinga formerly led as “disorganized” now to mount a serious challenge in 2027.

Some of ODM’s most vocal party members have threatened to exit the party if it backs Ruto’s 2027 re-election bid, among them its secretary-general, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.