NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 9 – Days after ODM leader Raila Odinga and President William Ruto sealed their agreement to work together in the broad-based government, tensions are running high within the Kenya Kwanza camp.
Leaders allied to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua have strongly opposed the move, terming it a selfish pact designed to serve personal interests at the expense of ordinary Kenyans.
Speaking after attending a church service in Kangemi, Nairobi, a section of the leaders—led by Embakasi North MP James Gakuya—castigated the handshake, calling it a ploy to silence the opposition at a time when key state projects, such as the Social Health Authority (SHA), are failing to meet public expectations.
Gakuya, who has his eyes set on the Nairobi gubernatorial seat in the 2027 elections, did not mince his words, accusing Raila of abandoning his long-held mission of fighting for the common mwananchi.
“In the previous government, he had a deal with President Uhuru Kenyatta, and we didn’t elect him. Now he wants to repeat the same thing with Ruto. This coalition is for his own benefit—his stomach, not the people,” Gakuya declared.
He questioned Raila’s integrity in joining forces with the government, arguing that a true opposition leader would never compromise for personal gain.
“If he was truly fighting for Kenyans, he wouldn’t be in bed with the government. The moment you join the government, it’s no longer about the people—it’s about your own interests. When will he remember the people of Kenya?”
Beyond the national political landscape, Gakuya also took issue with Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s involvement in the broad-based government. He argued that instead of focusing on service delivery in the capital, Sakaja was preoccupied with political alignments that would only slow down development.
“Nairobi is not even working for the people. The governor is busy taking litter to other institutions and vomiting on our shoes while the county remains in a state of disarray,” Gakuya lamented.
On March 7, President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga entered into a political pact aimed at fostering collaboration on critical government policies.
Both leaders emphasized that this agreement was not a new political formation but a framework for joint consultations on pressing national issues, intending to ease political tensions and promote cooperative governance. 
This development mirrors a previous event in 2018 when Odinga and then-President Uhuru Kenyatta reconciled through a symbolic “handshake,” leading to the formation of the Azimio coalition. That alliance aimed to stabilize the nation after a period of political unrest but also faced criticism for potentially undermining the opposition’s role. 
Critics of the current Ruto-Odinga pact express concerns that it might erode parliamentary opposition, similar to apprehensions raised during the 2018 handshake.