Raila urges ODM elected leaders to work with Ruto
Raila's ODM party urges its elected leaders to cooperate with President Ruto for the benefit of the electorate
Raila’s ODM party urges its elected leaders to cooperate with President Ruto for the benefit of the electorate.
While urging its elected officials to cooperate with President William Ruto’s administration, Raila Odinga’s ODM has cautioned them against falling for his political ploys.
According to the party, elected governors, MPs, senators, and MCAs are free to collaborate with the executive for the benefit of their constituents.
“We don’t always tell our members what to do because we believe that as elected leaders, they know what is right and wrong,” ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna said.
The ODM secretary general said that by virtue of being elected, all their members are part of the government and are expected to deliver services to their electorate.
“When we held our meeting in Naivasha, we told our members to work with the government to the extent that they deliver for their people. At the end of the day, we will all be made to account to the people who elected us,” the Nairobi senator reckoned.
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The announcement follows reports that some members in the Orange party and the entire Azimio opposition coalition over the dalliance of some of its members with the new administration.
The opposition leaders, particularly governors, had publicly stated that they would cooperate with Ruto’s administration, triggering whispers within the opposition circles that they could be planning to decamp.
However, the leaders have defended their decision, saying they are doing so for the sake of the development of their regions.
ODM chairman John Mbadi said the ODM elected leaders cannot insulate themselves from the government as they derive their mandate from taxpayers.
“Any elected leader cannot work without the government. They must work with the government. And that is why we said our governors are free to work with the government of the day,” Mbadi said.
He added that the party has discouraged its members from an adversarial relationship with the government.
“We have two levels of government but eventually we have one government headed by (President) Ruto. There is no way we can isolate ourselves. Everybody pays tax so that they can get services and these services are offered by the government,” he said.
“There is a difference between working with government and with UDA or Kenya Kwanza. If they are working with UDA, then that is political and we must call that out,” he said.
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