A simmering political dispute within Kenya’s broad-based government burst into the open after Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku publicly warned Oburu Odinga to abandon what he termed premature agitation for the Deputy President’s seat.
Speaking during a church function in Mbeere North, Ruku delivered a blunt message to the veteran ODM figure, urging him to “mind your lane” and stop unsettling the current political arrangement. The CS accused Oburu of needlessly stirring tensions within the broad-based government by repeatedly raising the prospect of ODM targeting the country’s second-highest office.
Ruku firmly defended Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, insisting the leadership pairing between President William Ruto and Kindiki remains stable and should not be subjected to premature succession politics.
The sharp rebuke comes against the backdrop of what observers see as a notable shift in Oburu’s public posture. Earlier this month in Kisumu, the ODM stalwart had sought to reassure Kindiki that the party was not eyeing his seat. However, within days, he struck a markedly different tone at an ODM National Executive Committee meeting in Mombasa, declaring the Deputy President’s position was firmly within the party’s sights.
Oburu has since doubled down on the stance at subsequent political gatherings, vowing that ODM will negotiate aggressively for senior positions in any future coalition framework — remarks that have clearly unsettled allies within the ruling side.
Ruku and other leaders allied to the government have responded by drawing a red line around the DP’s office. The CS has previously maintained that Kindiki’s tenure is secure well into the current political cycle, suggesting any talk of replacing him is both premature and destabilizing.
The escalating war of words is increasingly being interpreted as an early signal of the intense succession manoeuvres already taking shape ahead of the 2027 general election. Political analysts note that ODM’s assertive bargaining posture points to a party keen to maximize leverage within the evolving broad-based arrangement, while allies of the President appear equally determined to protect existing power balances.
For now, the public exchange has injected fresh tension into what had been marketed as a unity framework. Whether the dispute fizzles out or hardens into a full-blown coalition fault line may depend on how aggressively both sides continue to prosecute their claims in the months ahead.
