Extrajudicial killings reignite tensions in Ruto-Raila political deal
The political agreement between President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga is facing mounting pressure, with ODM lawmakers accusing the government of violating the deal and pushing the truce to the brink of collapse.
The recent death of social media influencer Albert Ojwang’, who was reportedly abducted in Homa Bay and later died in police custody in Nairobi, has triggered outrage and renewed focus on the March agreement that aimed to foster national stability.
The deal committed both sides to ending abductions, protecting devolution, fighting corruption, compensating victims of rights violations, and implementing the National Dialogue Committee report, among other goals.
But ODM legislators now say the government is not living up to the promises made, especially with the return of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.
“We signed an MoU with UDA and agreed that we are not going to have abductions and killings like this one,” said ODM deputy party leader and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi in the Senate on Tuesday. “If we do not get proper answers from the UDA government, we will consider this as a breach of the MoU we have with UDA.”
Homa Bay Town MP Opondo Kaluma condemned the conduct of police, pointing to Ojwang’s death as a major lapse in law enforcement.
“The Police constitution is very clear on how policing should be done, adhere to the constitution. Police officers are going overboard and the blame is taken to other offices,” he said.
Bondo Senator Oburu Oginga, who raised the matter in the House alongside Osotsi, questioned the continued stay in office of Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat, who has been linked to the case.
“Is this police officer bigger than the President? Why can’t he be arrested and interrogated? If we don’t tackle this case to the end, Kenyans won’t believe us,” he stated.
Governance expert Javas Bigambo cautioned against viewing the MoU as a personal affair between Raila and Ruto, saying the issues addressed in the pact go beyond political convenience.
“The MoU between UDA, ODM was just a convenient bridge to enable the broad-based government,” he said.
While Raila has maintained a reserved tone publicly, sources within ODM indicate that pressure is growing for him to review the pact due to fears that the opposition could end up carrying the political baggage of the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Critics are also pointing to renewed large-scale harambees led by Ruto allies, calling into question the government's commitment to the anti-corruption clause of the deal.
Osotsi issued a stern warning about the implications of continued violations. “We are beginning to see the return of intolerance in this country. This cannot be allowed. It is unacceptable. We must stand firm against the return of the state-sponsored brutality.”
