Opposition leader Raila Odinga has thrown allies warming up to President William Ruto’s broad-based government into confusion after he issued fresh demands and backed the youthful protesters.
Raila has insisted that at least six issues must be addressed by the government before any dialogue and backed some of the demands advanced by the Generation Zoomer (Gen Zs).
On Sunday Raila appeared to woo the Gen Zs by supporting their demands, insisting on justice for the victims of police brutality during the recent protests and dismissal of protest-related cases.
The demands after Raila's camaraderie with Ruto was blossoming and on the verge of birthing a government of national unity, have put the push for a national dialogue in jeopardy.
Raila’s fresh stance comes days after top decision-making organs of his Orange Democratic Movement gave him the green light to enter into structured talks with Ruto.
The U-turn also after Raila reportedly entered into a government of national unity negotiations with President Ruto and agreed to some Cabinet slots for his allies last week.
President Ruto was to release the names of his Cabinet including some from ODM last week but a reported change of mind by Raila at the last minute saw his lineup dropped.
Ruto ended up unveiling 10 names for Cabinet Secretary positions and one for the Attorney General post after hours of push and pull with Raila’s camp.
Since the unveiling of part of the Cabinet, Raila has been sending mixed signals about his rapprochement with Ruto with his allies left unsure about what to do.
On Sunday the opposition leader came out to clear the air on the pending cabinet secretary slots yet to be filled by President Ruto.
In his statement, Raila stressed that justice must precede any talks with Ruto’s government and outlined several conditions that must be met before a national conversation can take place.
These include compensation for victims of police brutality, the dropping of all protest-related cases and the release of all those abducted and detained during the protests.
Raila also called for the resolution of issues relating to the welfare of health workers and education, especially for junior secondary school teachers.
The former prime minister said President Ruto must return the National Health Insurance Scheme to NHIF and scrap SHIF.
"Once these issues are resolved, we can focus on a national conversation, and conducted transparently in a neutral venue," Raila said.
Raila said that the representatives of the dialogue, he noted, should also come from various sectors including youth, government, religious leaders, health care professionals, lawyers, and teachers.
This is a complete about-turn from what they agreed with Ruto a few days ago when they held talks at the Kenya International Convention Centre.
After the talks, President William Ruto announced the beginning of a national dialogue that was to be between July 15 to 17 with at least 150 representatives.
“In the interest of making sure we live within our means; all participants will bear their attendance costs. This is a result of consultations we have held this morning,” Ruto said at KICC.
Raila had backed Ruto’s dialogue push, terming it “the best way forward out of the crisis we are having today as a country.”
“We will give people an opportunity to be heard,” Raila said, adding that it will provide a platform for Kenyans to air their grievances and table issues they think are ailing the country towards “a lasting solution.”
“There are many issues affecting Kenyans but all of them are solvable,” said the former prime minister.
“Unemployment, corruption, ethnicity, debt and the management of the economy are issues we need to talk about.”
But since then, Raila has shifted goalposts.
The Star understands that the ODM leader’s latest change of mind has unsettled his camp with his key allies in a state of turmoil amid growing divisions over the Ruto deal.
The opposition leader’s ODM lieutenants are now sharply divided on whether or not to join the government of national unity after President Ruto dismissed his Cabinet on July 11 to give room for a broad-based government.
While some have embraced Raila’s initial announcement that his camp was ready for talks with Ruto, some have been thrown into confusion after he came guns blazing with fresh demands.
Siaya Governor James Orengo, one of Raila’s lieutenants has criticised the idea of ODM joining Ruto’s administration terming it as an abomination, a disaster and something that cannot work.
"We cannot at a time we are mourning our people and some are scrambling for positions, this cannot happen," Orengo said.
He was speaking in North Alego, Siaya county on Friday during the burial of 25-year-old Kevin Onyango who was killed during the anti-government protests.
"I went to morgues and saw our children there. People are saying this is not our war but our children are dead in it. How can we get to government and those who have been killed have not gotten justice? I do not accept," he said.
"Am urging everybody that joining the Kenya Kwanza administration they are getting into a disaster and abomination it cannot work."
Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga recently said that the ODM party is ready to form a government of national unity with the Kenya Kwanza administration for the sake of Kenya’s tranquillity.
Speaking to the press in Kisumu last Sunday, Oburu said that as much as he supports the push by the young generation, the ‘Ruto must go’ calls are unwarranted as they may lead the nation to anarchy.
“Azimio affiliate parties who are unwilling to be part of the dialogue that has been proposed are also free not to do so," said Oburu, Raila’s elder brother.
There are reports that Raila has been forced to change his mind on the deal with Ruto after a political heavyweight reportedly vowed to mobilise his backyard to back him in the 2027 polls.
ODM insiders say the political leader is persuading Raila to drop his Africa Union Commission chairman bid and focus on local politics.
The reports of the big political brother wooing Raila away from Ruto have unsettled ODM lieutenants.
Nominated MP and ODM chairman John Mbadi on Sunday came out to bitterly protest, questioning the practicality of such a strategy.
“You cannot tell us that Ruto's presidency will come down. How? And if it comes down, what is the solution? If Ruto resigns today, it is Gachagua who is going to be President,” he said.
Mbadi emphasized the necessity of engaging in realistic political strategies, rejecting the notion of dismissing dialogue with President Ruto.