×
App Icon
The Standard e-Paper
Read Offline Anywhere
★★★★ - on Play Store
Download Now

How Ruto is burning midnight oil to win over Raila supporters

President William Ruto lays a wreath at the grave of the late ODM leader Raila Odinga in Bondo, on October 19, 2025. [PCS]

The passing on of ODM leader Raila Odinga last week has complicated President William Ruto’s political plans as it has forced him to re-evaluate his game plan ahead of the 2027 General Election. This is after plans of a coalition with ODM have been torpedoed.

For his survival, the President is reportedly weighing the option of using his influence and his memorandum of understanding with the late Raila’s party to convince the ODM leaders to formalise their working arrangement. Some of the options on the table include collapsing the ruling party to officially join the UDA party. Alternatively, there is the option of collapsing both the UDA and ODM parties to form a new party where he will be the party leader and the flagbearer for the elections.

Get Full Access for Ksh99/Week
Uncover the stories others won’t tell. Subscribe now for exclusive access
  • Unlimited access to all premium content
  • Uninterrupted ad-free browsing experience
  • Mobile-optimized reading experience
  • Weekly Newsletters
  • MPesa, Airtel Money and Cards accepted
Access this article for Ksh5
Already a subscriber? Log in