Kisumu, Kenya – The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, Dr. Oburu Oginga, has come to the defence of President William Ruto, dismissing criticism that the Head of State’s recent public remarks against opposition figures were unpresidential.
Speaking during Idd-ul-Fitr celebrations at Kisumu State Lodge on Friday, Oburu argued that the President had been subjected to sustained attacks for years and was only now responding. He questioned what he described as double standards in political discourse, emphasizing that it is deemed acceptable for a President to be attacked but frowned upon when he defends himself.
“Mr. President, I know you have been abused for a long time, and you kept quiet. I didn’t know you were keeping those responses somewhere. Now you have released them, and people are crying,” said Oburu.
“But I don’t understand when you are being attacked, it is considered normal, even sweet to some. But when you respond, when you release your arsenal, they say it is unpresidential. How can it be unpresidential to defend yourself?” he added.
Support for Government Development Agenda
The Siaya Senator also voiced support for President Ruto’s development initiatives, citing the Infrastructure Fund and the expansion of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to Kisumu and eventually Malaba as key pillars for economic growth.
Oburu criticised the previous administration for failing to deliver on similar projects despite attempts to secure financing, contrasting it with the current government’s swift action to unlock stalled projects.
“This Infrastructure Fund is for the whole of Kenya, and I am sure it is going to do wonders. This Fund, together with the push for electricity, is what is required here,” he said.
“The previous government was defeated. They tried to negotiate loans, they tried to do everything to bring these developments, but they failed because they had no idea what to do. But within a very short time, you (Ruto) have found what to do. You have given direction, and that direction is now going to see the railway — the SGR come to Kisumu, extend to Malaba, and connect us with other countries. That is the way to go to Singapore.”
Emphasis on Regional Development and Political Power
Oburu, known for his popular slogan ‘Tunataka Power’, urged Nyanza residents to support the government, highlighting the link between being in power and accessing development opportunities.
“You cannot go to Singapore when you don’t have power, and yet we are sitting here with power. How can I leave that and go looking for shareholders people who are dividing this country into shareholding?” he said.
Escalating Political Tensions
President Ruto and his former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, have intensified a war of words despite calls from religious leaders and other stakeholders to tone down personality-driven politics.
On Thursday, President Ruto, while unveiling several projects in Vihiga and Bungoma counties, noted that opposition leaders have long dragged him into personality politics instead of engaging on development, adding that he is now ready to respond.
Gachagua, who also leads the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), has continued to accuse the President of manipulating state tenders to favour allies, further fueling political tensions ahead of ongoing national development debates.
