By: IRENE MWANGI 

Winnie Odinga has said the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is yet to determine its position ahead of the 2027 General Election, maintaining that the party’s members not individual leaders will decide whether to back President William Ruto or field their own presidential candidate.

The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) legislator said neither she nor the party had reached a conclusion on the 2027 presidential race, stressing that the decision would be made through ODM’s internal democratic structures.

During an interview, Winnie dismissed suggestions that the party had already settled on supporting President Ruto’s re-election bid, saying the matter would only be resolved during the National Delegates Convention (NDC), where delegates will chart the party’s electoral strategy.

“The party has not made that decision. We have a National Delegates Convention coming up later this year, and that is where members will determine the way forward,” she said.

The daughter of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga said ODM’s future should not be dictated by a small circle of influential leaders but by the wishes of its grassroots supporters.

She argued that members should be given the final say on whether the party remains independent in the next presidential contest or throws its weight behind another candidate.

Asked whether she would personally campaign for President Ruto if he seeks a second term, Winnie avoided committing herself, saying she was still weighing the political landscape.

“I have not made that decision,” she said, describing the question as politically sensitive.

According to Winnie, internal lobbying and personal political calculations risk undermining the voices of ordinary members, warning that some politicians are more focused on securing their own political futures than advancing the party’s collective interests.

“There is a lot of briefcase carrying and people are looking for self-survival. In such situations, the will of the people may not be the priority,” she said.

She also reflected on how her father, Raila Odinga, might have approached the 2027 election, saying current national challenges could have influenced him to seek the presidency once again despite his cooperation with President Ruto under the broad-based government.

Winnie said growing public frustration over the high cost of living, the pace of development and other governance concerns may have convinced the veteran opposition leader that another presidential bid was necessary.

“If you look at today’s situation, the dissatisfaction among Kenyans and the slow pace of development, he may well have decided to contest,” she said.

She, however, clarified that the observation should not be interpreted as an indictment of President Ruto’s administration, explaining that it merely reflected the concerns being expressed by many Kenyans.

On the question of endorsing President Ruto, Winnie reiterated that the decision does not rest with any single leader but with ODM’s membership.

“I cannot make that decision on behalf of the party. It is the members who will decide through the National Delegates Convention,” she said.

Her remarks come amid growing speculation over ODM’s political direction following its cooperation with the Kenya Kwanza administration under the broad-based government arrangement. Capital News