Mbadi: Raila told me to support Ruto and help deliver his agenda

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi says the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga instructed him to support President William Ruto’s administration and help deliver its development agenda.

Mbadi made the remarks on Thursday, September 17, 2026, while accompanying Ruto during his development tour of Homa Bay.

The CS said his long working relationship with Raila gave him a clear understanding of the former Prime Minister’s position when ODM joined the broad-based government.

“When Raila brought us to the broad-based government, his words to me were very clear. He told me that I must make sure that I support President Ruto to deliver on his agenda,” Mbadi said.

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Mbadi said he had worked with Raila since 1992 and claimed the former Prime Minister was interested in seeing the Ruto administration deliver on key programmes.

According to Mbadi, Raila also supported efforts to address Kenya’s debt situation and facilitated his visit to Washington, where he met Professor Hiroyuki Hino, a former consultant associated with Raila’s office when he served as Prime Minister.

Hino has since continued to advise on Kenya’s economic challenges, including debt management, corruption and economic growth.

Mbadi claims Raila backed 2027 cooperation

Mbadi went further, saying Raila had supported plans for ODM and Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) to work together in the 2027 General Election.

“You have no idea that we had planned that in 2027; we were going together as a team, UDA and ODM,” Mbadi said.

He added that the cooperation would continue beyond the 2027 election.

“We will continue. 2027 and beyond 2027, we will work together. William Ruto and Kenya will continue.”

Mbadi’s remarks are his account of Raila’s position. They come as ODM and UDA continue discussions on political cooperation ahead of the 2027 elections.

A joint UDA-ODM team has already been working on a political framework for the partnership, including reviewing the two parties’ manifestos and developing a document to guide nationwide consultations.

Ruto pushes unity message in Nyanza

Mbadi spoke as Ruto continued his tour of Nyanza, where the President has repeatedly linked his broad-based government arrangement to national unity and development.

During his Kisumu visit on September 14, Ruto said the 2027 election should be an opportunity to reject what he described as marginalisation, tribalism and hatred.

He urged residents to support his administration’s development agenda, pointing to investments in roads, electricity, water, education and housing.

The President has also presented the UDA-ODM cooperation as part of a wider effort to bring political communities together and shift the focus towards development.

The political realignment is particularly significant in Nyanza, a region historically associated with ODM and Raila’s political base.

Mbadi’s latest remarks therefore place Raila’s reported position at the centre of the current debate over the future of the UDA-ODM partnership.

However, his account should be understood as a statement from Mbadi rather than an independently verifiable statement from Raila himself.

For now, the two parties continue to publicly discuss cooperation ahead of the 2027 polls, while leaders in the broad-based government seek to translate the arrangement into a longer-term political partnership.

About the Author

Maureen Onyango is a journalist passionate about storytelling, life coaching and spiritual lessons. She studied at the Kenya Institute of Management and enjoys telling stories that inform, inspire and empower communities.