2027 Race: ODM MP Claims Raila's Party Has No Candidate Who Can Defeat Ruto

Kenya, 26 October 2025 - Alego Usonga Member of Parliament, Sam Atandi, has sparked debate within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) after stating that the party should not rush into fielding a presidential candidate for the 2027 General Election.

Speaking over the weekend in Siaya County, MP Atandi said "there is currently no leader within ODM capable of defeating President William Ruto."

Mr Atandi, who was very close to the late opposition leader Raila Odinga, urged party members to remain realistic about the political landscape following his demise.

He argued that the party must first consolidate its internal unity and strengthen its grassroots structures before thinking about a presidential flagbearer.

“There is no one Raila Odinga had anointed or proposed to be ODM’s presidential candidate in 2027,” Mr Atandi said.

“Even if we decide to field one, who among us can defeat Ruto? As things stand, there is no one in ODM with that capacity.”

The outspoken legislator said those agitating for an immediate declaration of ODM’s next presidential candidate are greenhorn politicians who lack the experience and political weight to steer the party to national victory.

“Those opposing the arrangements and the path [Raila] Odinga left us on are politically inexperienced. They have no idea how to defeat Ruto or even build a serious national coalition,” he added.

Mr Atandi’s remarks come amid growing murmurs within ODM following the death of their political leader. Several senior figures, including Wycliffe Oparanya, Hassan Joho, and Opiyo Wandayi, have been mentioned as possible contenders to carry the ODM flag in 2027, but none has publicly declared interest.

Political observers say Atandi’s comments reflect a deepening anxiety within ODM over its future without Odinga’s commanding influence.

Since 2007, Odinga was the face of Kenya’s opposition politics and the party’s unifying figure, but his death has left a vacuum.

Analysts also note that President Ruto has been actively consolidating his political base through grassroots mobilisation, economic empowerment programs, and strategic alliances — moves that may complicate ODM’s path to clinching the presidency.

As ODM grapples with internal debates over leadership and direction, Atandi’s blunt assessment underscores the uncertainty surrounding the opposition’s strategy ahead of 2027 — and the towering question of who, if anyone, can step into Odinga’s shoes.

Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga was named the party's Interim Party Leader.

Oginga is the elder brother of former prime minister, who was buried on 19 October 2025 at Kang'o Ka Jaramogi next to his father, the late first Vice President of Kenya Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.