By The Weekly Vision Team
Kalonzo Musyoka, leader of the Wiper Democratic Movement and a key figure in the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition, has publicly declared that he and his coalition will not join President William Ruto’s government. Kalonzo emphasized that participating in the proposed Kenya Kwanza-led broad-based government of national unity would be a betrayal of their core values and the Kenyan people, particularly the younger generation who have been vocal against the current administration’s policies.
This announcement came shortly after four top ODM leaders accepted positions as ministers in Ruto’s Cabinet. Musyoka emphasized that participating in the coalition government would betray the values and ideology of the Azimio Coalition, which includes the interests of the youth who were actively involved in recent protests. He argued that any reorganization of the Cabinet should follow a convention rather than a dialogue and that his coalition would not engage in a superficial reshuffle
Kalonzo highlighted issues such as corruption, tribalism, unemployment, and the financial strain from the 2023/2024 Finance Bill as reasons for their refusal to align with Ruto’s government. He also stated that any cabinet reshuffling under the current administration would be merely superficial and not lead to genuine change.
His declaration came shortly after four prominent ODM leaders—John Mbadi, Hassan Joho, Wycliffe Oparanya, and Opiyo Wandayi—were nominated as Cabinet Secretaries (CSs) in Ruto’s administration. The nominations reflect the ongoing shifts within Kenya’s political landscape, particularly in the context of succession planning within the ODM party.
The political dynamics within ODM are particularly interesting as Raila Odinga, the party leader, is pursuing the chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC). Should Odinga secure this position, it could lead to significant changes within the party, with potential successors like Joho, Oparanya, and Wandayi emerging as key figures vying for leadership roles.
