MBADI DEFIES RAILA'S 2027 REDLINE

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has openly contradicted the long-held positions articulated by the ODM founding leader, the late Raila Odinga and SG Edwin Sifuna on ODM’s engagement with President William Ruto ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Speaking in Kabondo Kasipul Constituency on Saturday, Mbadi dismissed assertions that ODM’s support for President Ruto is limited to 2027, arguing instead that the outcome of the next presidential race is already settled and that the party should focus its energy on 2032.

“We must strategise, we must be tactful, we must form alliances which make sense. And you cannot talk about we are with you up to 2027. After 2027, where are we going? The president of 2027 is already decided,” said Mbadi, a former ODM chairperson.

He added:
“There is no new candidate who will come and make an impact. That is a lie. This is a time now to prepare ourselves for 2032.”

Mbadi’s comments stand in sharp contrast to Raila Odinga’s repeated clarifications earlier this year, in which the veteran opposition leader insisted that ODM’s cooperation with President Ruto under the broad-based government arrangement ends in 2027, with no commitment beyond that period.

In July 2025, Raila stated:
“We have said that we are in the broad-based government until 2027. We did not say that we are going to work with UDA beyond 2027. Those are issues that we will discuss at the appropriate time, and the decision will be made by party members, not Raila Odinga alone.”

He reinforced the same message again in September, warning ODM leaders against pre-empting the party’s future direction:

“Look at what we have signed, we must remain as ODM. We signed and agreed that we will work together up to 2027. We have not passed any resolutions as a party to say how we are going to go into the elections of 2027.”

Mbadi’s stance also places him at odds with ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, who has been among the most vocal opponents of any attempt to back President Ruto beyond the current term. Sifuna has consistently argued that ODM should prepare to field or support an alternative candidate in 2027 rather than align with Ruto’s re-election bid.

In one of his strongest remarks earlier this year, Sifuna stated:
“Even if ODM supports Ruto, he will still lose. We do not endorse the way this country is being run, both internally and externally.”

Against this backdrop, Mbadi directly challenged ODM members who remain uncomfortable with supporting Ruto, urging them to stop sending mixed signals and instead make a clear political choice.

“Mbadi challenged ODM members who are not satisfied with supporting Ruto to declare their support for former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua instead of wasting time.”

He further outlined what he described as the only viable political options for ODM going forward:
“And you cannot prepare yourself for 2032 if you want to work alone. You must work with other people. Either we work with that united opposition of Gachagua, Kalonzo, or we remain behind Ruto. We give him a second chance as we plan for 2032. That is the only thing.”

Mbadi also expressed dissatisfaction with ODM leaders who continue to insist that the party’s support for Ruto ends in 2027, noting that the broad-based government agreement was negotiated by the party’s former leader, the late Raila Odinga, and warning that wavering could damage relations with the ruling administration.

According to the Treasury CS, failure to honour the agreement risks straining ODM’s working relationship with President Ruto.

“And we cannot work with people who have gone down previously. We can only work with people who have demonstrated that they can work with us,” Mbadi stated.

His remarks underline growing ideological and strategic divisions within ODM, as senior figures send conflicting signals about the party’s position in 2027 and beyond — especially with the absence of Raila Odinga.