Ruth Odinga Details John Mbadi's Attack on Her During ODM Retreat in Mombasa

Kisumu woman representative Ruth Odinga has revealed the tense moments she got herself in as she attended the ODM party retreat in Mombasa on May 3.

In a lengthy social media post Sunday, May 10, the lawmaker detailed how National Treasury John Mbadi advanced an attack on her, a situation she took offence on.

According to Ruth, Mbadi suggested that she was treating ODM like a personal property owing to the fact that the party was founded by her deceased brother, the late Raila Odinga.

"I was surprised that when Treasury CS, and immediate former ODM Chairman John Mbadi rose to speak, he chose to attack me, as an Odinga. He said ODM Party does not belong to the Odingas. That it is not a family property and therefore nobody should feel entitled because they carry the Odinga name. He stated further that Raila Odinga was already dead and buried, and even if he was to be alive, he wouldn’t do much because he (Mbadi) and others have heavily invested in the ODM Party," she said.

Ruth took the matter personally as she was the only member of the Odinga family who was in attendance at the meeting.

Oburu Oginga, the party leader, was a no-show.

The lawmaker, while calling out Mbadi for embarking on trivialities, sought to disabuse his assertion that she was capitalising on the Odinga name to 'destabilise' ODM.

Ruth is not aligned to any of the ODM factions, whilst Mbadi is leaning toward the side supporting President William Ruto's re-election.

She said the CS was out of order to insinuate she was using her family name in place of competence and leadership qualification.

Ruth told Mbadi that whilst he might wrestle everyone to direct the party to whatever political cause he wants, he can't equally force followership and support.

"Yes, he (Raila) is dead and buried like Mbadi said it. But his followers are not dead, nor his ideology. It is easier to inherit the party or anything else Raila Odinga left behind, but you have to earn the support of his followers not by coercion and other forms of inducements," she said.

She vowed to continue her call for unity within ODM, especially at this time when sharp divisions have rocked the party.

Ruth said she would not give in to intimidations by Mbadi and his ilk by virtue of them holding powerful government positions.

She also vowed to protect the Odinga name from being punching bags of self-seeking actors who can't tolerate other people's divergent political views.

"Is this bashing of the Odingas the only way to guarantee Mbadi another 5 years as CS of Finance? It is in public domain that he, Mbadi, is demanding voters of Luo Nyanza to make a certain political choice or else he will be denied that extra 5 years as he has enjoyed the 2 or so years thus far. Is this the reason? Are the Odingas the obstacle to his joy?" she posed.

Mbadi is on record pushing for ODM to support Ruto in 2027, observing that no viable candidate is available for the party to field after Raila's demise.

According to him, the earliest ODM could field a presidential candidate is in 2032, when the party will have strategised properly.