KISUMU, Kenya Mar 3 \u2013 Kisumu residents have called on Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga to broaden his consultations as he prepares to join the broad-based government.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Sunday, the locals expressed support for his engagement with Kenyans but urged him to also consult religious groups, civil society, and the youth.<\/p>\n
Job Mandela emphasized that while they back Raila\u2019s efforts, discussions should not be confined to ODM, as many Kenyans support the process.<\/p>\n
\u201cRaila is consulting on our behalf, and we are fully behind him,\u201d he said, adding that he should resist intimidation or coercion and focus on strengthening ties with the Kenya Kwanza administration.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet no politician, especially within ODM, derail this process. We want it concluded quickly so that we get into government,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Joe Obuya cautioned Raila against falling for political traps ahead of the 2027 General Election, warning that the same politicians urging him to abandon talks with President William Ruto had misled him before.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to assure Raila that the 6 million-plus who voted for him in 2022 support him in negotiating on our behalf,\u201d he said, stressing that the government must prioritize service delivery.<\/p>\n
He pointed to Raila\u2019s past collaboration with former President Mwai Kibaki, which led to tangible benefits for Kenyans, and urged a similar outcome in his engagement with Ruto.<\/p>\n
Lilian Onyango, a businesswoman in Kisumu, expressed anticipation for the formalization of the agreement, citing hopes for peace and stability.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want unity and an end to demonstrations that lead to destruction and loss of lives. I support Baba working with Ruto for the sake of the country,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Speaking during the burial of Baringo Senator William Cheptumo on Saturday, President Ruto urged leaders to set aside political interests and prioritize national unity.<\/p>\n
Since losing the African Union Commission chairmanship bid, Raila has been consulting within his ODM party and in his Nyanza stronghold, engaging grassroots leaders, elders, and county officials. He has called for patriotism and urged Kenyans to abandon political suspicion.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must ensure that our constitution, which is rated among the best in the world, is fully implemented,\u201d he said. \u201cOnce this is done, bad governance and corruption will be relegated to the museum.\u201d<\/p>\n
Raila also emphasized the need for equitable resource distribution and a stronger parliamentary role in governance.<\/p>\n
President Ruto has hinted at upcoming political realignments, pushing for a collaboration agreement with opposition parties, starting with ODM.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to be patriotic about Kenya. We can disagree, but we must never disagree on the destiny of Kenya,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ruto dismissed leaders opposing his unity efforts, even as figures in the opposition\u2014led by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua\u2014begin forming alliances to challenge his leadership in 2027.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter who you are or what you believe in. We share a country and a destiny. If Kenya succeeds, we all succeed. If Kenya fails, none of us succeeds,\u201d Ruto said.<\/p>\n
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang\u2019ula and Senate Speaker Amason Kingi echoed Ruto\u2019s sentiments, urging both Raila and Ruto\u2019s supporters to embrace their unity.<\/p>\n
\u201cRaila and Ruto were the main contenders in 2022. If they are now working together to unite the country, why should their supporters be angry?\u201d Wetang\u2019ula asked.<\/p>\n
He further warned against political hostility, quoting historian Ali Mazrui: \u201cWhen elephants fight, the grass suffers. But when elephants make love, the grass suffers even more.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KISUMU, Kenya Mar 3 \u2013 Kisumu residents have called on Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga to broaden his consultations as he prepares to join the broad-based government. Speaking on Sunday, the locals expressed support for his engagement with Kenyans but urged him to also consult religious groups, civil society, and the youth. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-111217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111217"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111217\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}