Raila Odinga Says 2027 Presidential Bid Still Undecided, Focused on Strengthening ODM
ODM leader Raila Odinga has stated that he is yet to decide whether he will contest the presidency in 2027, insisting it is still too early for such discussions. Speaking in an interview with NTV on Sunday evening, Odinga emphasized that his current priority is strengthening his party, ODM, ahead of the next General Election.
“I will not say my view, even in 2025. It is too early for anybody to talk about 2027,” Odinga said.
He added that he may either run or support another candidate, depending on the decision made collectively by his party.
“No, I don’t have to run for presidency. I can support somebody else, but I can also run. If I wanted to run, I haven’t made a decision because I don’t think it is time to make that decision. At the moment, I’m more content trying to organise my party, ODM, to be strong as a political party,” he said.
Odinga also addressed reports that some of his allies are aligning with President William Ruto, stating that those moves are personal decisions and not party-sanctioned.
“Those are individuals. That is their decision as individuals, and they’re entitled to it,” he noted.
On his political relationship with Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Odinga reiterated their friendship but clarified that future presidential decisions would be guided by ODM as an institution.
“Me and Steve (Musyoka), we are friends… but when the time comes, we will discuss and see who is capable of running… That matter will be about the party’s interests first,” he said.
Odinga dismissed claims that he is encouraging Kalonzo to team up with President Ruto for a joint ticket, calling such reports “total rubbish.”
On criticism that he is caught between supporting the government and being in opposition, Odinga maintained that his current stance is a strategic decision made in the national interest.
“We are in this situation because of the crisis the country is in… and we think that the decision we took was the right one,” he explained.
He warned that without dialogue and political cooperation, Kenya could have slipped into chaos, similar to Somalia.
“Don’t think William Ruto would probably have been gone… Once the country slips into that state, it takes a long time to get it back,” he added.
Odinga also defended his legacy, arguing that past negotiations with leaders like Moi, Kibaki, and Uhuru Kenyatta were crucial for national stability and reform.
“With Moi, we managed to tame him and start constitutional reforms. With Kibaki, it was about peace after post-election violence. And with Uhuru, the handshake was not co-governance — I had no one in government.”
He lamented that the collapse of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) denied the country vital reforms that could have addressed today’s political challenges.
Even so, he emphasized that for now, his focus is on rebuilding ODM and letting the party decide on its future leadership path.
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Raila Odinga Says 2027 Presidential Bid Still Undecided, Focused on Strengthening ODM