Oketch Salah has emerged as one of the most controversial and enigmatic figures in Kenyan politics following the passing of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Once a relatively obscure businessman from Migori County, Salah has thrust himself into the spotlight as a self-proclaimed “adopted son” of Raila, a vocal advocate for ODM’s continued alignment with President William Ruto’s government, and a financier of grassroots mobilization efforts that appear to push Ruto’s 2027 reelection agenda within the Orange Democratic Movement.
Born Mohammed Abdi Salah (commonly known as Oketch Salah) in Migori, he hails from a prominent Somali-origin family that integrated deeply into the local Luo community. His father, Abdi Salah, was a successful entrepreneur who owned Migori’s first bakery (named Salah), the town’s inaugural multi-storey building in the 1970s, a filling station, and other ventures like wholesale stores. The family enjoyed notable wealth for the era, including super bikes and sports cars, and was known for large-scale philanthropy, such as transporting dozens of children to school.
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