Stop giving Ruto too many demands, ODM leaders told

Silvance Osele (track suit) and Antone Okuta (red T-shirt) kick off a football match at Kigoto Primary School tournament in Suba South. (James Omoro, Standard)

ODM leaders’ fresh demands to President William Ruto for their support in 2027 polls are causing friction in the broad-based government in the Nyanza region.

The ODM officials have expressed dissatisfaction that the current positions they have in the broad-based government are inadequate.

The officials led by the National Chairperson Gladys Wanga and deputy party Godfrey Osotsi hold the position that ODM needs more positions in the government for them to support Ruto’s presidency in the 2027 polls.

However, the demands are now signposting a sharp division among senior political leaders of the ODM party in Nyanza.

The Director of the Government Delivery Unit in the Nyanza and Western regions, Silvance Osele, has told the ODM leaders to stop giving Ruto conditions.

Speaking at Kigoto Primary School in Suba South Constituency during a tournament organised by businessman Antone Okuta, Osele told the ODM leaders to be contented with the positions ODM has in the current government.

The former Kabondo Kasipul MP argued that President Ruto had given ODM and members of the Luo community the best positions which a government should give a community.

He said the national treasury slot given to John Mbadi of the ODM party is a great honour Ruto had accorded the Luo community.

“The national treasury position is held by Mbadi, who is our son. Our son Opiyo Wandayi is leading the energy docket, while Raymond Omollo is the PS for Interior,” Osele said.

He expressed concerns that some of the ODM leaders had begun demanding the deputy president slot during the 2027 general election.

“It is unfortunate that some leaders from the Luo community are demanding the post of the deputy president. The position of a deputy president is like a flower because the office holder is not a signatory. The CS for finance is more important; he is the signatory for funds used for constructing roads to a deputy president’s home,” Osele said.

He warned members of the ODM party and the Luo community against exchanging an important post with a less important one.

“Let us not act like people who don’t know what they want,” Osele said.

CS Mbadi also wants ODM leaders to stop giving Ruto conditions for their support.

“Let us not give Ruto conditions. The race for 2027 has been concluded, and we are going to support him. What we are discussing now is the race for 2032,” Mbadi said.

Former councillor Ben Onyango urged the leaders to continue working with Ruto to enable the people of Nyanza to acquire development.

“What we need is development. We don’t want conditions which may make the common man suffer,” Onyango said.