ODM leader Raila Odinga has somewhat distanced himself from involvement in the picking of four party members who President William Ruto included in his new-look Cabinet on Wednesday.
He, however, wished the ODM Cabinet nominees well as they prepared to take up their new assignments.
"I have taken note of President William Ruto's announcement yesterday regarding the reconstitution of the Cabinet to include four members from ODM," Raila said.
Ruto on Wednesday unveiled 10 more faces of his Cabinet nominees and named nominated MP John Mbadi in the National Treasury docket.
ODM deputy party leaders Wycliffe Oparanya and Hassan Joho were handed Cooperatives and MSME Development and Mining and Blue Economy ministries respectively while Minority leader in the National Assembly Opiyo Wandayi was given the Energy and Petroleum docket.
In a statement on Thursday, Raila clarified that the development is not as a result of a coalition agreement between ODM and the ruling UDA.
He said ODM had anticipated the crafting of clear terms of engagement based on the issues they had previously outlined in various communiqués.
“While we extend our best wishes to the nominees and trust that they will contribute positively to national development, we continue to advocate for national engagement under the conditions as previously outlined,” he said.
The issues, he reiterated, are compensation of families of victims of extra-judicial killings and those injured by state operatives since last year.
He added that ODM also wants all protesters who are still in custody to be released and all cases relating to protests since last year to be terminated.
Raila said they also want all police officers found culpable for shooting and killing or injuring protesters to be prosecuted.
The ODM chief said the demands align with the party’s principles of upholding democracy, good governance and social justice.
“These principles shall at all times guide our actions and decisions as we strive for the betterment of our nation. We urge all stakeholders to remain committed to the ideals of unity and progress for the prosperity of all Kenyans,” Raila said.
Shortly before unveiling the second batch of ministerial nominees at State House, Nairobi, Ruto ordered all security agencies to release wrongfully arrested protesters and terminate cases against them.
"I urge the Criminal Justice Agencies to take effective measures and ensure people who may have been innocently caught on the wrong side of things be released and charges dropped," he said.
This means Raila’s ODM is still awaiting action on their demand for families to be compensated and the prosecution of officers found culpable for injuring or killing protesters.
Following the unveiling of the second batch of Cabinet nominees, the National Assembly on Thursday released a schedule for their vetting.
According to the schedule, the vetting will be phased and done within four days where at least five nominees will be vetted on each day starting from Thursday, August 1, 2024, through to Sunday, August 4, 2024.
The vetting will be conducted by the National Assembly’s Committee on Appointments at Parliament’s Mini-Chamber, County Hall, between 8 am and 5 pm.
First to face the panel will be Kithure Kindiki, the CS nominee for Interior and National Coordination, on August 1.