Complicit: How ODM has traded Raila's legacy for Ruto's power

The winds of change have swept through the once-dedicated democratic ideals- the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party- as party stalwarts bask in the glory of President William Ruto's repressive tactic of state abductions against critics and perceived opponents.

The very foundation that the late ODM leader Raila Odinga built as a basis for the broad-based government has been trashed. The ten-point agenda was supposed to help the country navigate the murky waters of poor governance and protests that had threatened the Ruto regime. 

Three points stand out in the agenda the first is government to safeguard right to peaceful assembly and protest, the second was government to protect and promote youth livelihoods, and the third was the protection of sovereignty of the people, rule of law and constitutionalism. On all the three agenda he broad-based government has been flailing given the recent intolerance to protests, media freedom and alternative opinion. The result has been abductions the very thing Raila opposed and fought for to his death. 

The abductions appear to have become a key plank of the UDA administration’s strategy to stifle dissent, force defections, muzzle media freedom and bolster the president’s grip on control of the country’s entire spheres. In this full-fledged strategy of strong-arm politics to subdue critics through state intimidation, violence and abductions, ODM has morphed into a willing and supportive partner.

 In this newfound worldview adopted by party echelons, what was once poison is today honey, and it is no longer an abuse of constitutionalism to abduct Kenyans, but a crucial tool that must be deployed by all means to protect power, their own pursuit of power, and their political godfather, President Ruto.

 Debates of constitutionalism that dominated Raila’s speeches in his last months on earth as he pushed for reforms that prioritized respect for human rights have now taken a back seat. Instead, his former lieutenants have morphed into a choir of hagglers pitching the need to back Ruto for another term, while cheering at the State’s repressive response to critics.

Some party insiders claim the party has lost its consciousness and that their pursuit for their individual political survivals has revealed their true colours. For them, violence, abductions and State intimidations are only bad if you are the victim and not the successful aggressor.

 “It is saddening to see what is happening in ODM today. The overtures by the State have been normalised and are getting a lot of support within the party’s ranks, and it is no longer a secret that some of the party leaders are advocating for violence against critics of the government,” said an ODM MP allied to party leader Oburu Oginga’s faction.

End of opulence was also an element in the agenda between Raila and Ruto, however, the ODM brigade looks like the cat that got the cream when crisscrossing the country in an obscene show of wealth and might.

 The party leaders are swimming in luxuries and state comfort while dwarfing concerns of other Kenyans with blackmail, ridicule and cheer of the state’s response. Fleets of helicopters are on a daily display, large rotating rotor blades trembling above to announce their arrivals, and so are the wards of cash.

 In the last couple of weeks, as a section of Kenyans voice their concerns over the continued use of abductions to target Kenyans, a pattern that is increasingly becoming familiar is taking root as ODM leaders adopt a position that critics believe is driving the last nails in Raila's legacy, as the pursuit for personal comfort overrides protection of the rule of law.

 Instead, the leaders are pushing for more State benefits and cheering the government on as it cracks down on opponents, helping Ruto tighten control over the country’s political system as he bids to create an imperial presidency. Hurtling helicopters from one event after another and enjoying elite state protection while dishing millions in donations, bliss has befallen the Orange party.

For some ODM leaders, the tribulations of State abductees are the catapult that has sped up their pursuit for power, as Party Leader Oburu Oginga and Chairperson Gladys Wanga craft a reelection plan for President Ruto.

Yesterday, Wanga described herself as the conductor collecting the ODM brigade and their supporters to back President Ruto’s reelection bid. She was speaking in Nyando constituency where she, alongside Treasury CS, donated Sh1 million each to women. The show of wealth also included a Sh10 million donation from Ruto as well as a Sh2 million donation from Oburu.

She described leaders attempting to drive their supporters back to the opposition as clueless. She likened the United Opposition as a bus that is already full and does not have space for ODM and her members. “We cannot leave a bus where we have seats to a bus where the only available space is on the roof,” she said.

Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, a former loud-mouth against State abductions and excesses, who was also present at the event, threw subtle mockery to last week’s protests to commemorate the June 2024 killings of Gen protestors. He flipped the coin and alleged that opposition leaders had wanted their supporters to be on the streets while former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua had withdrawn his people.

In the past, the party was at the forefront in pushing for an end to state abductions. This push was documented in the ten-point agenda that the late Raila negotiated with Ruto’s regime as part of a push to protect rights inscribed in the Constitution.

The push also entailed championing for the respect of the right to assemble, demonstrate, and petition, as guaranteed under Article 37, which has often been curtailed by government security operatives. The agreement had sought to safeguard this right.

Interestingly, critics believe ODM has joined forces with the oppressor and is clapping at the woes of Kenyans who have been abducted by the State.

This week, reports emerged that at least six cases of abduction and torture were reported during the recent Gen Z commemoration, casting a doubt on the government’s commitment to ending human rights violations. Recently, state operatives also  attempted to abduct Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich, as the strategy also targets press freedom.

The abductions came barely weeks after the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) presented a reparations framework aimed at guaranteeing non-repetition.

The renewed allegations of enforced disappearances have raised concerns among human rights defenders, who say the incidents expose a glaring contradiction between the State’s public commitments to accountability and the continued targeting of citizens exercising their rights.

However, the latest incidents have prompted questions about whether those commitments are being implemented. However, for ODM, this is no longer a priority as focus shifts on Ruto’s reelection bid.

Prof XN Iraki of the University of Nairobi, an analyst, believes the split within the party has left it without boldness.

 "ODM is split and no longer speaks with one voice. Raila's boldness is difficult to emulate, and the party's internal infighting has taken precedence over correcting the government and taking firm positions on key national issues," said Iraki.

In the past, the party was at the forefront in representing Kenyans who were alleged victims of state oppression. Save for Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Siaya Governor James Orengo, the entire cast has left the show. The spirit of the late Raila that courted a blistering fight for freedoms and the voice of the voiceless is teetering.

What is different today is that the cast has changed; the eyes of reason have left the room and embraced the dark tactics of abductions.

Not so long ago, the comrades they stood with side by side to push for their justice are now their sworn enemies, a grouping trying to drag them out of power. They have branded them names, called them criminals worthy of a tough response from the government.  

“Before joining the broad-based government, ODM supporters were among those who suffered police brutality, abductions and other forms of state repression. When the party entered government, it presented a 10-point agenda, one of whose commitments was to end abductions. However, we continue to witness abductions, yet many ODM leaders who are now in government are no longer speaking about the issue,” says Linda Ogweno, an activist.

In nearly all their public events, the ODM brigade has made it clear. Nothing will complicate their pursuit to stay within the confines of State power. The desperation has led them to abandon even their pursuit for a deputy presidency seat, in what some insiders describe as a move to appease their suitors in Ruto.

At the apex of this pushback against the plight of abductees and acceptance of the state’s use of abductions as a tool to remove voices of dissent to government’s controversial policies is party leader Oburu.

When he took power within the party from his late brother, many wondered how he would lead the party to protect democratic ideals. today, however, Oburu has turned his back on the gains his brother fought for through the ODM party. His focus has changed. "Tunataka pawa'(We want power)" has become his quotable quote in the party's circles.

He has swept away the norms that his brother built as he attempts to bolster his own leadership that critics say is faltering. His loud silence on abductions is telling as he leads a choir of Ruto’s praise and worship team, and pushes his own pursuit of power.

Yesterday, Oburu was all smiles as he announced  Ruto’s Sh10 million donation to Nyando women as he led residents in chanting ‘two terms’ for Ruto. 

The party has also been accused of augmenting the State’s tactics in their own backyard by attempting to block opponents from conducting rallies in the regions, while enjoying the protection of security organs.

On Friday, a senior party official was accused of organizing goons to block Linda Mwanainchi brigade at Keumbu in Kisii. Similar scenes have been witnessed in Busia, Kakamega, Homa Bay, Kisumu and Nairobi, where threats of violence against perceived opponents has been at the forefront.

Communication researcher Professor Charles Nyambuga believes the party has lost consciousness.  "Definitely. Raila was a democrat, both at heart and in practice, and he would not have allowed this kind of thing to pass without speaking out. On many occasions, he openly condemned such actions and said they were unacceptable. But today, not a single member of ODM is condemning what is happening. Even the former 'Linda Ground' team has remained silent. Instead, you can see some of them behaving like goons." 

A section of activists, some of whom are victims of abductions, believe the party abandoned its ideals for social justice. They believe a section of residents feel let down by the party.

“They no longer represent the ideals on which the party was built, and that has been a huge disappointment to many people, including myself. Here in Kisumu, many people have died, including during the Gen Z protests, yet ODM did not stand up to represent them,” claims Boniface Akach, a human rights activist.

Additional reporting by Rodgers Otiso