Honour or bribery? Questions abound Ruto's nomination of Ida

Dr Ida Odinga. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Former ODM leader Raila Odinga’s spouse, Canon Ida Odinga, has found herself in the thick of President William  Ruto’s snatch-and-grab strategy as he seeks to secure a firm grip on her now-deceased husband’s political constituency.

Given the authority that Ida commands both within the Odinga family and the wider Jaramogi family, pundits suggest Ruto plans to ensure she steadies the ODM ship, which has recently been tottering amid acrimonious factional rifts. 

Critics argue that Mama Ida’s stature as the spouse of Raila Odinga and her long-standing political influence warranted a more substantial national or international role. 

ODM Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi was particularly blunt, saying the position was “too small” for Mama Ida.

He alleged that the appointment was made in bad faith and intended to hoodwink ODM loyalists into backing President Ruto’s agenda. “The appointment was in bad faith as it was not relevant to our core agenda as Raila Odinga supporters,” said Osotsi.

Osotsi further claimed the move was intended to deter liberal voices within ODM who oppose a possible merger with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

He warned President Ruto against interfering with ODM’s internal affairs.

“They are threatening us that they have money and want to buy every ODM member. We warn them that we are not as cheap as they think,” Osotsi added, alleging there were plans to coerce party members into supporting a merger with UDA.

Analysts argue that the move could significantly weaken ODM’s internal cohesion by removing a trusted mobiliser and adviser from the party’s grassroots operations.

“Ida wields a lot of power without a portfolio. She is one person who can call women MPs in ODM and aspiring candidates, and they will show her support. She is a vital resource in ODM and the brainchild behind the powerful women’s league in ODM,” says an ODM MP.

Some also believe the move places Winnie Odinga’s growing ambitions to challenge the status quo within ODM in jeopardy, particularly amid ongoing talks between UDA and ODM.

Winnie is close to her mother and counts her among her confidants. In the recent past, however, Winnie has allied with the group considered rebels, opposing Oburu’s leadership and his efforts to drive ODM into Ruto’s fold through talks with UDA.

Yesterday, the vibrant young politician attempting to retrace her late father’s political steps appeared to step back and re-strategise after the nomination. Before her mother’s nomination on Friday, The Sunday Standard was reliably informed that she had been planning a parallel rally in Bondo, dubbed a homecoming.

She was, however, a no-show, even as her uncle proceeded with his planned rally in Kisumu. An aide of Winnie dismissed the planned rally as propaganda.

Nerima Wako, a political analyst, believes the move is also a clampdown on Winnie’s political ambitions.

Mama Ida Odinga is condolened by President William Ruto during Raila Odinga funeral service in Kisumu.

"Ida’s repositioning away from active politics may lower internal expectations for Winnie to 'carry' the Odinga legacy in a particular way."

The analyst believes Winnie’s politics is likely to become less confrontational as a result of the nomination and more system-legible.

“What we are witnessing is a wholesale purchase of ODM. She does not need the job, and accepting it means she will not have any moral authority to comment on anything political,” says political commentator Chris Owala.

Owala believes Ida is in the same league as South Africa’s Winnie Mandela and Mama Ngina Kenyatta, and should not be reduced to a government employee who must look back every time and cannot comment freely on issues.

Yesterday, a Nyanza ODM MP, who asked not to be named, described the nomination as risky for the party and for Ida’s legacy. The MP believes that through the appointment, her political power will fall beneath the Cabinet Secretary at a time of great political peril. 

“It is a demotion from the political space and appears, systematically, to crumble ODM and the Odinga empire that Raila built. It is hard to imagine Ida sitting meekly to take instructions from Koskei or Mudavadi. It is not befitting her status,” says the MP. 

Geoffrey Mogire, an ODM life member, frets at the thought of Ida taking up such a role. He believes Ida already has an honour bestowed on her by Kenyans and does not need a state appointment.

"If she takes up that appointment, her title as Min Piny will disappear faster than the morning dew. Even her fanatical supporters who look at her with awe and admiration will dissipate," he says.

It is also argued that Ruto wants to clip the wings of potential critics through appointments in a political move tipped to have significant implications for the country’s political landscape.

Should Ida accept the nomination, observers believe it is bound to have jarring effects on the Raila succession, the future of ODM, and perceived emerging critics of the Ruto administration.

Her nomination comes at a time when the ODM political house her husband built is struggling amid internal dissent over the party’s association with, and proposed merger into, Ruto’s UDA, as the younger generation intensifies efforts to lead the party away from Ruto.

Across the ODM fold, Ida enjoys near-fanatical support she inherited from her late spouse and has been nicknamed ‘Min Piny’ (The Mother of the World). Her presence alone wields significant political stature.

Although not an outright politician and having never held an elective seat, Ida has been a silent kingmaker within ODM and one of the voices of reason pulling strings in the background to help Raila build a formidable party. Her influence has been undeniable.

Politicians seeking ODM tickets and those entering the muddy waters of politics were known to make discreet visits to her for political advice as she turned Opoda Home into a political fortress.

Morris Makokha, a long-time ODM supporter from Kakamega, recalls witnessing this dynamic repeatedly. When several key politicians feared nomination, they would travel to Karen in Nairobi to meet Mama Ida.

“I have seen several politicians trooping to Mama Ida’s home seeking blessings for party tickets,” Makokha said. “She was a bridge between grassroots politicians and Raila. Her role in stabilising the party cannot be ignored.”

Mama Ida Odinga during the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s special prayer service at Bomas of Kenya, Nairobi on Feb 10, 2025. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

But this is bound to change as President Ruto rolls out his containment strategy in ODM, tightening the noose on Raila's party through appointments, promises, and discreet strategic dealings.

After securing the new party leader, Oburu Oginga and his allies, the missing piece of the puzzle that Ruto has sought to address is the heart of the Odinga family: Mama Ida.

Should she accept the appointment or reject it, and how will it impact ODM? Those are among the questions observers are exploring.

Some within the ODM choir backing Ruto believe the appointment honours her and assures her that the government is still on her side despite her husband’s death. Others see it differently.

Her appointment reduces her stature and is a containment strategy that limits her freedom to participate in local politics. 

Additionally, the role makes Head of Public Service Felix Kosgey her immediate boss and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi one of her supervisors, restricting her political activities now that she is a public servant.

Should Mama Ida take up the job, she will have to defy her bosses to maintain her profile within the political space and continue as a voice of reason within ODM.

History is not kind to her predecessors. Holders of similar positions have been reduced to civil servants with little political impact at home.

For instance, after his appointment, the immediate former holder, Ababu Namwamba, an experienced political operative, quickly disappeared from the country’s politics and rarely commented on political issues.

His appearances became scarce and limited to conference rooms in Nairobi and other parts of the world, turning the once-vibrant former MP, Secretary General of ODM, and senior UDA operative into an absent figure in the political space.

This experience now awaits Ida, a seasoned behind-the-scenes political operative who has nurtured several women leaders in ODM and younger party leaders.

Recently, she was a saviour to the perceived rebels—Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi—who faced a potential axe from the party as Oburu’s allies rallied behind an initiative to remove them for refusing to endorse talks with UDA.

Within ODM, Oburu’s allies are celebrating Ruto’s nomination of Ida, describing it as a Solomonic move that highlights Ruto’s intent to gather all without scattering any.

On social media, contests to post the best pictures ever taken with Ida, accompanied by congratulatory messages, swarmed the pages of several politicians.

To them, the appointment is a masterstroke of Ruto’s appreciation for the ODM party and Raila’s legacy, but critics believe the systematic crackdown on ODM is at its peak.

For President Ruto, the appointment may serve to soften ODM loyalists and reduce resistance to his broader political agenda, including overtures towards an ODM–UDA working relationship.

Conversely, women leaders have congratulated Mama Ida, terming her appointment a major win for women’s leadership. Vihiga Woman Representative Beatrice Adagala hailed the nomination as recognition of Mama Ida’s lifelong service.

“Her appointment as Kenya’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is a testament to her commitment to leadership, service, and advocacy,” Adagala said.

Some analysts, however, are questioning the timing and believe Ruto is orchestrating the move for political expediency.

Political analyst Barack Muluka argues the move is more about convenience than honour.

“Ruto is trying to worm his way into the hearts of the Luo nation, and he thinks the Odinga family is the entry point,” Muluka said.

“Raila is gone; he has gone to Oburu as one marble. He’s been within ODM and the Odinga family, and he knows that Ruto was the one who made Oburu the party leader. To balance the equation, he brings Ida.” 

Muluka speculated that other members of the Odinga family, including Winnie Odinga, could soon be offered positions.

“Remember, during her father’s funeral, she told Ruto she was willing to come back home. Probably that was her way of signalling she wants a place in the cabinet,” he noted.

For now, it remains to be seen how the family will react to the nomination, even as they plan a family meeting scheduled for 1 February. 

Ida's younger son, Raila Junior, appeared to distance himself from the nomination, and instead of congratulating her, he reiterated he was not engaging in politics. In a post on X, Raila Junior urged Kenyans not to drag him into politics, stating he was only waiting for the family meeting with his uncle.

Additional reporting by Mary Imenza and Brian Kisanji