By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 23 May 2026 - A striking political alignment is taking shape in Nyanza.
Development is the language. Unity is the message. Power is the undertone. Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo and ODM party leader Dr Oburu Oginga have openly defended President William Ruto’s development record, pointing to massive state investment in a region long considered politically oppositional.
Speaking in Nyando during the burial of the mother of area MP Jared Okello, Dr Omollo set the tone. Firm. Measured. Assertive.
“Nyanza is not being left behind,” he said.
“We are seeing projects worth KSh 220 billion across Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay and Migori.”
The figure lands heavily. It is political currency. It signals reach. It signals recalibration of national priorities under the Kenya Kwanza administration.
“For the first time, this level of investment is deliberate,” Omollo explained.
“It is structured. It is intentional.”
He pointed to stalled infrastructure now back on track. Roads previously abandoned. Contractors now on site. Machines back in motion.
“Projects that were forgotten are now active again,” he said.
“That is the reality on the ground.” the PS explained to the people of Nyanza.
His message was simple. Development has returned. And it is distributed.
Omollo framed this as evidence of a broader philosophy under President William Ruto.
The key tenets are; Inclusive governance. National reach. No regional favouritism.
“This is a government that does not look at where you come from,” the PS said.
“It looks at where development is needed.”
He highlighted education reforms as further proof.
The recruitment of 100,000 teachers. Plans for 20,000 more. Numbers used as political proof points.
“In three years we have done what used to take decades,” he explained.
The PS also referenced inclusivity in appointments. His own position. Senior government figures drawn from across the country. Representation as a governing principle.
“I am here as Interior PS from this region,” he said.
“That alone tells a nice story, tribalism and prejudice trashed.”
But the political tone shifted further when he turned to ODM leader Dr Oburu Oginga. The language softened. The message deepened.
“As a son of this community, we stand with you,” Omollo said.
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“We will support your leadership in ODM and in the region.” he told Oburu.
It was not ceremonial. It was strategic. A signal of evolving political chemistry.
Then came Dr Oburu himself. Calm. Calculated. But unusually direct in his defence of the President.
“Tunataka power,” he declared.
“We must remain united behind one goal.”
He warned against internal divisions within ODM. He rejected fragmentation. He demanded discipline.
“I will not accept politics of division in this party,” he said.
Then the escalation. Clear political realism.
“No. We must remain united behind one goal,” Oburu repeated.
“That goal is to capture power or access it with ease.”
The statement carried weight. It reframed politics as strategy. Not sentiment. Not rivalry. But positioning.
He went further. Hinting at present political realities.
“At this moment, that unity and access is only possible through stability and cooperation under President Ruto,” he said.
It was a remarkable moment of convergence. A senior ODM figure speaking in alignment with a sitting government agenda.
The burial, held for the mother of MP Jared Okello, became more than a moment of mourning. It became a political stage. Governors. MPs. party leaders. Government officials. All present. All signalling.
Kisumu Deputy Governor Mathews Owili, Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga were among those in attendance. Alongside them, senior ODM figures and national officials.
The message from the podiums was consistent. Sober politics. Issue-based leadership. Development over division.
Omollo pressed it home.
“I have no doubt Nyanza will eventually align with the rest of the country in supporting President Ruto,” he said.
It was both prediction and persuasion.
The numbers were already doing political work. KSh 220 billion in projects. Roads reopening. Teachers recruited. Institutions reshaped.
In Nyanza, the language of politics is shifting. Development is no longer just policy. It is argument. Alignment is no longer theoretical. It is visible. And power, as both Omollo and Oburu hinted, is now being discussed in the language of unity rather than opposition.
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