East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Winnie Odinga remains undecided on whether to back President William Ruto’s 2027 re-election bid. Speaking during a recent interview, she insisted that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) membership, through its upcoming National Delegates Convention (NDC), holds the ultimate power to determine whether the party supports Ruto or fields its own candidate.
When pressed on her personal stance for 2027, Winnie, daughter of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, acknowledged the delicate nature of the question.
“That is a very hot question to ask in positions like this, but I have not decided,” she said.
She rejected claims that ODM has already locked in its strategy for the next election cycle, pointing instead to established internal party channels.
“I also do not believe ODM has decided to field a presidential candidate in 2027. We will have a National Delegates Convention, which will happen later this year, and it is where such decisions will be made,” she said.
Winnie urged leadership to let grassroots members dictate ODM’s path rather than allowing a small clique to drive major decisions.
“The party needs to let the people decide and listen to what supporters want,” Winnie said.
She accused certain figures within the party hierarchy of placing personal political survival ahead of the membership’s desires.
“There is a lot of briefcase carrying, and people are looking for self-survival, and there the will of the people may not be a priority,” she said.
Addressing her father’s political legacy, Winnie noted that Raila might still have entered the 2027 contest despite his political cooperation with Ruto under the broad-based government agreement. She singled out widespread public dissatisfaction and sluggish development as factors that could have compelled her father to run once more.
“If you look at today and the dissatisfaction of people and the slow development, he may possibly have joined the race,” she said.
She clarified, however, that her comments do not write off Ruto’s current performance but rather call for stronger action to address citizens’ pressing concerns. Ultimately, Winnie placed the weight of any future endorsement firmly back on the party’s delegates.
“On endorsing Ruto, it is the ODM members who will decide. I cannot speak for all members, and that is where the NDC comes in,” she said.
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