Bondo, Kenya – Sunday, October 19, 2025 — President William Ruto on Sunday made a bold political prediction, saying the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party will form or be part of the next government if it remains united.
Speaking during the burial service of former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology in Bondo, Siaya County, President Ruto assured mourners that he would personally safeguard ODM’s unity and ensure that Raila’s political legacy endures.
“Baba believed in political parties. The strength and future of ODM and other political parties are needed to make them strong and vibrant,” Ruto said.
“As a sign of respect to Raila, I will not allow anybody to kill ODM or gamble with it outside the broad-based government,” he added.
The President disclosed that in the three months leading up to Raila’s death, the two leaders held deep consultations on how to transform Kenya’s economy and infrastructure.
“We invited Prof Hino to Kenya to engage on plans to get Kenya out of the mess. We agreed with Raila on plans for a nuclear energy project in Siaya to generate 10,000 megawatts,” Ruto said.
He added that the government would extend the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha through Siaya to Malaba and construct a dual carriage highway linking Rironi–Nakuru–Eldoret–Malaba and Kericho–Kisumu–Malaba corridors.
Ruto defended his decision to accord Raila a state funeral, saying it was an honor well deserved.
“Some people questioned why I gave Raila a state funeral and yet he was not president. Yes, he was not president, but he was the people’s president,” he said.
The Head of State also paid tribute to Raila as a political mentor, recalling their long association since 1994.
“Raila was not just an engineer but a political engineer who incorporated me in his engineering class and mentored me,” he said.
Raila’s widow, Ida Odinga, said her husband had remained deeply concerned about Kenya’s slow pace of development compared to nations like South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore.
“He often wondered why Kenya was still a third-world country while others had moved to first-world status,” she said.
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo thanked President Ruto for honoring Raila with a state funeral, describing the late leader as “a friend, confidant, and peace ambassador.”
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta mourned Raila as a “friend, brother, and visionary leader whose strength and insight will be remembered for generations,” while former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka praised him for his lifelong fight for justice and against corruption.
ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna assured supporters that the party would remain united and true to Raila’s vision.
“There is no room for divisive narratives in ODM. We shall keep the party united because it is one of Baba’s greatest legacies,” Sifuna declared.
He revealed that Raila had personally urged him in September 2025 to prepare the party for the upcoming 2027 general election.
National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohammed echoed the sentiment, saying ODM would “either be in the government or in the coalition that will form the government.”
Energy and Petroleum CS Opiyo Wandayi, Treasury CS John Mbadi, ODM Chair Gladys Wanga, and Acting Party Leader Dr. Oburu Odinga all pledged to back President Ruto’s call for a broad-based government.
CS Hassan Joho dismissed rumors of betrayal, insisting that “ODM values and principles remain deeply in my heart.”
Leaders also proposed ways to immortalize Raila’s name. Governor Gladys Wanga urged the government to rename Talanta Stadium to Raila Odinga Memorial Stadium and establish an annual Raila Odinga Memorial Cup in his honor.
In a symbolic gesture, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula presented Hansard records of Raila’s parliamentary speeches to Ida Odinga for safekeeping in a public library.
As the sun set over Bondo, Raila Odinga was laid to rest amid emotional tributes, his political legacy cemented in the annals of Kenya’s history — and his party’s future intertwined with the very government he helped shape.
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