Ida Odinga Reprimands Raila's Allies Wanting To Remove Him As Kingpin

After losing the August 9 presidential election to William Ruto, Ida Odinga humiliated leaders from the Nyanza area, forcing Raila Odinga, the leader of the Azimio La Umoja party, to resign from active politics. Speaking in Homa Bay county on December 12, Ida criticized the authorities for being inconsistent in their allegiance to and support of Raila.

Some of them, she alleged, were using the former Premier and herself to advance their political goals before deserting him when Ruto was selected as the next president. Ida asserted that the young leaders even dared to target her family while leading an anti-Odinga campaign. The same politicians would visit me for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as frequently stopping by my workplace. She questioned why they had the temerity to disparage the Odinga family after pretending to be our friends.

Ida strongly refuted the accusations that her husband lost the election when all the odds were on his side. She urged Nyanza citizens, among other things, to back Raila and disregard those who called for new regional leadership. She issued a warning that the individuals pushing for Raila's removal were acting dishonestly. Ida, a philanthropist and retired teacher, claims that the leaders colluded with President Ruto's Kenya Kwanza to end her husband's political career.

Odoyo Owidi, the former chair of the Lake Basin Development Authority, encouraged Raila to confront the machinations around the party primaries. Owidi said that the previous prime minister's conflict with Nyanza leaders was a result of the party nominations process. The party cost a lot of money for the politicians, yet they were shortchanged in the end. The lawmaker pointed out that the party cannot support democracy if it does not engage in it.

On October 29, Raila responded to rumours that he will leave politics. He pleaded with his fans to give him more time so he could plan his course and promised to make a significant statement. "When it is time for me to retire, I will do so quietly. Reforming this nation's politics should be our main priority right now, according to Raila, in order for democracy to flourish.