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Was It All a Setup? Raila’s Alleged Plan to Make Ruto a One Term President Exposed

NAIROBI — Saitabao Ole Kanchory, who previously served as Raila Odinga’s chief agent, has disclosed what he describes as a calculated political strategy designed to prevent President William Ruto from securing re-election in 2027.

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In a Tuesday morning interview with Spice FM, Kanchory painted a picture of deliberate political maneuvering behind the widely discussed cooperation between ODM and the Kenya Kwanza administration.

The Ten-Point Framework Reinterpreted

Kanchory challenged prevailing interpretations of the 10-point agenda that emerged from dialogue between the opposition and government. Rather than representing collaborative governance, he characterized it as a set of conditions the ruling coalition was expected to fulfill independently.

“These were requirements placed before the Kenya Kwanza government, not a partnership arrangement,” Kanchory explained during the radio appearance.

The former chief agent pushed back against narratives suggesting Raila had merged with Ruto’s administration. He drew distinctions between the ODM leader’s position and the deployment of party technocrats to Cabinet positions.

“People misunderstand what happened. Raila didn’t enter government—he sent specialists like Mbadi, Wandayi, Joho, and Oparanya to serve,” Kanchory clarified, naming the ODM figures now holding ministerial portfolios.

Timeline as Political Leverage

Central to Kanchory’s account is the temporal dimension of the agenda. He revealed that the March 2026 deadline was intentionally set, creating what he called an impossible timeframe for comprehensive implementation.

“The deadline wasn’t arbitrary. It gave the administration roughly one year for tasks requiring significantly longer,” he stated, suggesting the time constraint was tactical rather than practical.

With four months remaining until the benchmark date, Kanchory asserted that none of the agenda items have been completed—a claim that positions ODM to critique government performance heading into election season.

Electoral Intentions

Addressing speculation about ODM’s 2027 plans, Kanchory quoted Raila directly: “Who told you that ODM will not have a candidate?”

He framed the choice starkly for the party—supporting Ruto would mean organizational collapse, while fielding a presidential candidate would demonstrate continued political relevance. Kanchory expressed confidence in ODM’s national reach and voter base across multiple regions.

The revelation adds complexity to Kenya’s evolving political landscape, where cooperation between former rivals has generated confusion about opposition strategy. Kanchory’s interpretation suggests the engagement was transactional and temporary rather than a fundamental realignment.

His comments indicate ODM may be preparing to contest the presidency independently in 2027, despite current Cabinet representation—a possibility that could reshape coalition calculations as the election approaches.

Neither ODM leadership nor the presidency had issued responses to Kanchory’s characterization by press time.