Sunday, May 10, 2026
- Kisumu Woman Representative, Ruth Odinga, has disclosed tense moments she
endured during the ODM party retreat in Mombasa on May 3rd, where
she claims Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi launched a personal attack
against her.
In a lengthy social media post on Sunday, May 10th,
Ruth recounted how Mbadi, the immediate former ODM Chairman, accused her of
treating the party as family property because it was founded by her late
brother, Raila Odinga.
“I was shocked when Mbadi rose to speak and chose to
attack me as an Odinga.”
“He said ODM does not belong to the Odingas, that it is
not a family property, and Raila is dead and buried.”
“He even claimed that even if Raila were alive, he
wouldn’t do much since Mbadi and others have heavily invested in the party,”
she wrote.
Ruth, the only Odinga family member present at the retreat,
said she took the remarks personally, dismissing Mbadi’s assertions as trivial
and misplaced.
She insisted that she was not exploiting her family name to
destabilise ODM, but rather advocating for unity amid sharp divisions.
She accused Mbadi of attempting to weaponise her lineage to
undermine her credibility, noting that leadership must be earned through
competence and ideas, not coercion.
“Yes, Raila is dead and buried, but his followers are
not. His ideology lives on. You cannot inherit support by force or
inducements,” she added.
Ruth vowed to resist intimidation from Mbadi and other
leaders aligned with President William Ruto’s re‑election bid.
She further questioned whether Mbadi’s attacks were
motivated by his desire to secure another five years as Finance CS, alleging that
he was pressuring Luo Nyanza voters into political choices.
Mbadi has publicly argued that ODM should back Ruto in 2027,
saying the party lacks a viable presidential candidate until 2032.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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