When Raila Odinga and the ODM fully join hands with President William Ruto’s corrupt and incompetent government the message they are sending to Kenyans protesting in the streets as we speak for better living conditions is that the Gen Z battle for Kenya is not just against Ruto and his KK mob including the police killing Kenyans but it is a war against the ruling class and that includes Raila and the ODM.
Here are the conditions Raila Odinga directly put out to Kenyans as things he need to be addressed before he joins William Ruto in a government of national unity as opposed to a government of national dictatorship.
Raila asked for the Ruto government to provide justice and compensation for the victims of state violence where many have been killed both in 2023 Saba Saba actions and in the last one month where the Ruto police are killing young people everywhere and even abducting many and dumping them in waterlogged quarries to die there.
Has Ruto said or done anything about that demand by Raila Odinga? President Ruto has not even bothered to talk about that because it is irrelevant to him and he expects Raila Odinga to shut up about that.
As a matter of fact justice and compensation for the victims of Ruto state violence requires a public inquiry so Kenyans can hear from the victims and their families and then decide on what compensation they deserve. William Ruto will never agree to anything like that because those people killed by his police force are like pieces of garbage to him. Ruto doesn’t really give a damn about them and he is going to kill more of them. That is his plan and Raila and ODM have to decide if they want to be part of those plans and actions. It is that simple.
President Ruto said Gen Z are faceless and nameless. Well here are the faces and names of Gen Z protestors killed by the Ruto government.
JKUAT Denzel Omondi student drowned, autopsy shows
Denzel Omondi, a third-year student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), who went missing during the anti-finance Bill protests in Nairobi, died by drowning, according to a postmortem report released today.
Some mourners line up to view the body of the slain Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology student Denzel Omondi at Kanjira in Karachachuonyo constituency on July 22,2024
The family members of the slain JKUAT student Denzel Omondi led by father James Onyango and mother Jedidah Omburah at the burial of their son at Kanjira village in Karachuonyo constituency on July 22,2024
His parents said it is difficult to understand how their son was killed.
“It’s hard to accept that my eldest and promising son Denzel is no more. We want to know those who took away his life because up to now, we haven’t received the postmortem results,” Onyango said.
- Denzel Omondi’s mother asked William Ruto’s government to listen to the grievances of Generation Z, who are pushing for change
- Speaking on behalf of her sister, Denzel’s aunt said the government has said that the youth are the leaders of tomorrow; well, tomorrow is now
- The heartbroken mother thanked Gen Z, the media, human rights organizations and other family members for their support and prayed for God’s protection over them.
The mother of the late Denzel Omondi has asked the government to listen to the young protesters because they have something to say.
These are real people Mr. President. They are not faceless or nameless. Are they?
Talk about Public Inquiry into the murders of Kenyan youth in the last month this family is putting it on the table and talking directly to the Kenyan people. That is what the country needs and it is going to be done if Raila and the ODM are serious about justice and compensation for those murdered and abducted by the Ruto police.
Rex Masai’s Mother Breaks Silence Over Death of Son
Julian Manya, the mother of 29-year-old Rex Kanyike Masai, who was fatally shot by a police officer during protests against the Finance Bill 2024 in Nairobi CBD, has shared her profound sorrow and grief over the loss of her son.
These Kenyan families need justice and peace.
And here is President Ruto’s DPP telling Kenyans to forget about any justice for Kenyan youth killed by the police.
Rex Masai Murder: DPP Says Key Witness Still Missing, CCTV Footage Unclear.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Ingonga now says that the primary witness in the investigation into Rex Kanyeki Masai’s murder has not appeared to testify on the incident.
Masai was one of the protesters reportedly shot dead by police during the height of the anti-Finance Bill 2024 demonstrations last month.
On the day he met his end, Masai was heading home at around 7pm in the company of a friend when he was shot in the knee outside Hilton Hotel along Moi Avenue by a rogue cop using live rounds.
The bullet remained lodged in his body until he passed away from excessive bleeding.
This is the kind of complete rubbish Kenyan victims of state murder are hearing and this is exactly why the country needs a public inquiry into these government murders and not some shady DPP inquests. How the heck does the Ruto’s killing machine expect witnesses to go talk to them?
By the Ruto police records if any witness goes to the DCI to provide evidence of police murder that witness will be abducted immediately and killed by the police in a few minutes. If President Ruto wants the ICC to come in and deal with state murders in Kenya he will get it and Kenyans will need those witnesses alive and not like the ones William Ruto allegedly killed after the 2007/8 massacres where ICC said all the witnesses they had could not be found. All of them were either dead or missing.
The second demand from Raila Odinga was that President Ruto sets free all the abductees and those arrested during the protests. Ruto has conceded to that demand and ordered all those Kenyans released. That is a good thing so these young people can go home and back to their lives because many of the charges against them were fake and even the courts did not know what to do. That is something Raila Odinga can take credit for.
Raila Odinga also made very specific and pretty serious demands for state officials and police committing violence and murder against Kenyans to be taken to court and charged with the crime they have committed. That will never happen because the that buck stops at President Ruto’s door. Police and state officials committing crimes of murder and violence against the Kenyan youth are doing so under the direct orders from the president at State House. End of story as far as William Ruto is concerned.
In terms of human rights and justice for Kenyans ODM is in a mess being swallowed by UDA and KK and that will be for Kenyans to decide. As far as Gen Z actions are concerned this is an excellent opportunity for them to realize there is not much difference between Kenyan political parties and at the end of the day everybody wants to eat and the country means nothing to them at all.
Here is the reality on the ground for the Gen Z freedom fighters to deal with.
When it comes to the cabinet appointments President Ruto has given ODM, they mean less than zero because William Ruto runs his government from State House and cabinet positions mean nothing to him. Same with parliament where all MPs from all parties are just rallied to support Ruto regardless of their political parties. John Mbadi was the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which audits all government expenses. Did he do anything in the last two years of gross corruption by the Ruto government?
No, he didn’t because President Ruto controls everything including parliamentary committees.
Now John Mbadi the ODM chairman has been appointed as the CS in the Treasury and that should be a big deal because the ODM guy will set up the next Finance Bill after the last one brought the country to a complete rebellion.
John Mbadi is qualified for the job because he holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degrees from Nairobi university and he is a very intelligent guy and Kenyans respect him but it is a sad joke to think the he will actually draft a Finance Bill because that will be done at State House and Mbadi’s only job would be to look stupid in parliament trying to present that to Kenyans. President Ruto directly runs every ministry and the finance docket is the most important.
The good news for Ruto here is that the next time Kenyans revolt against his finance bill and crippling debts he can tell Kenyans that it is the ODM now in charge of Kenya’s finances. This appointment of ODM big guy to the Treasury was one of Ruto’s most intelligent moves in this whole circus and a government of national corruption.
The other appointees make no difference but the message Kenyans get is that the ODM is saying that they want to be part of the looting and corruption in Kenya. Great for them and for the country but Kenyans know the battle in front of them is huge. ODM big boys want to join the feasting on public money. Kenya is back to a one party state and that is KK after ODM ceases to exist as a political party in Kenya.
And here is one CS who is very happy with Raila Odinga for getting his job back and now he can buy Sh. 2 million worth watches every month.
‘I’m Sorry’: Kipchumba Murkomen Apologises To Kenyans For His Conduct, Lifestyle
Handshake Gov’t As Ruto Nominates Raila Men Joho, Mbadi, Wandayi, Oparanya To Cabinet
Raila Odinga will end up in Addis Ababa as the AU chairman because he is giving William Ruto everything the president wants to suppress and even kill Kenyans but ODM is going to be the new FORD. After steering the country to a multi party state the country ended up with ten FORD parties from FORD Asili, FORD Kenya, FORD Leo, FORD Kesho all the way to FORD Kwisha. That is what is next for ODM and they may be better off just merging ODM with UDA and KK. The country will move because Kenyans always do that and they succeed all the time.
As a big supporter of a government of national unity at critical times like this when the life of our country is at stake I hope things were done differently where there was transparency in negotiations and general consensus reached but what we have is President Ruto bullying Raila Odinga and the ODM and telling them take it or leave it. That is between them and Kenyans will have nothing to do with it.
Even Fuata Nyayo wasn’t this rough when Moi faced opposition at critical times and the fact that Raila Odinga of all Kenyan politicians has accepted this bullying is pretty shocking to Kenyans who love and appreciate his endless efforts to sacrifice and fight for the country when they needed him the most to save their country.
You cannot do these things in your bedroom and order everybody to follow you. A GNU has to be transparent and acceptable to the whole country.
Kofi Annan with Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga in 2008 during the signing of the peace accord.[File, Standard]
I suggest William Ruto should name Chief Justice Martha Koome as the new Attorney General (AG) and that will complete the whole cycle. Or better still Ruto can name his DPP Renson Ingonga as the AG.
And then there is the strange thoughts by other opposition leaders that Gen Z is now the official opposition in Kenya which is completely delusional. Gen Z will keep fighting for a better cost of living for Kenyans, for an end to corruption and abuse of public money and for a good economic plan for the country but they are not a political party and instead a movement for a better Kenya.
Once ODM and all these other fake opposition parties are dead which is now obvious it will take Kenya a long time to develop a new opposition party for the country that represents the youth of Kenya and they will take the government. That could take a generation or it could take a few years.
The only thing the youth can ask from Raila Odinga before he goes to Addis Ababa is to at least negotiate for a six month voter registration so those 90% of Kenyan youth with no voter cards can get them and handle the politics of our country.
If that can be started in August after the IEBC commissioners are picked and it goes to the end of the year it may help Ruto and Raila run their government as the youth go for voter registration knowing they will decide who runs the next government.
In fact a huge voter registration plan could be a big redemption for Raila himself letting the Kenyan youth know that he wants them to have the power to run their country. That is actually the most important thing the Gen Z rebellion can achieve and it will shape our country for generations to come. Raila Odinga has to fight for that and it is crucial for the young generation of our country.
The other opposition politicians saying this is all about the youth and they don’t want to be involved can retire right away. When you go to buy food at the grocery shop they do not ask you your age so they determine the price and cost of living for you. Everybody pays the same price. This war is not about the youth but about the lives of all Kenyans. The youth are the ones with enough courage and patriotism to fight the murderous and thieving Ruto regime.
And Senator Okiya Omtatah is still working for the country.
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has criticized President William Ruto for including four opposition-allied leaders in his list of new Cabinet nominees, as part of his broad-based government approach seeking to steer the country forward in the aftermath of protests. Omtatah is taking the matter to court saying it is illegal under Article 3 of the Kenyan constitution.
Kenyans may like to see a new opposition political party with the likes of Okiya Omtatah, Dr. Willy Mutunga and people like LSK President Faith Odhiambo, Waikwa Wanyoike and Gen Z in leadership of such a political party and that could take the country where it is going. Just give it a simple name like Kenya Progressive Party (KPP) and you win the next elections in a landslide.
ODM is dead once they join UDA and KK at this terrible time for the country without any credible and transparent negotiations. That is just a simple political fact and painful reality for those of us who have supported ODM for 20 years but it is fine. Kenya will find a way forward and that is how countries grow.
Adongo Ogony is a Human Rights Activist and a Writer who lives in Toronto, Canada
