Former British Prime Minister Henry John Temple said: “We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow.”
Temple’s realpolitik stresses that political actors prioritise their strategic interests over personal loyalties or ideological commitments.
This aptly defines Raila Odinga’s political journey, which he has built through alliances, often with former adversaries, which raises questions about whether the unions he has formed have truly served the public interest.
While political coalitions are often marketed as efforts to foster unity, stability or reform, history has shown that they often serve the interests of the political elite rather than the public.
Since the 2000s, Raila has forged pacts with rivals, boosting his political influence. In 2001, he partnered with then-President Daniel Moi, becoming Kanu secretary general and Energy minister.
The following year, his Liberal Democratic Party signed an MoU with Mwai Kibaki’s Narc, earning him a ministerial post.
He later left the government, claiming Kibaki reneged on a promise to make him prime minister.
After the Supreme Court annulment of Uhuru and William Ruto’s election in 2017 due to illegalities and irregularities in the presidential vote, Raila reached another agreement with former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The 2018 handshake laid the foundation for the Building Bridges Initiative, a constitutional reform drive that was a political tool rather than a genuine governance reform.
A Katiba Institute report found that BBI’s key proposals, such as expanding the executive, prioritised power-sharing over economic and governance transformations.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission was among the petitioners who successfully challenged BBI in court. Now, in 2025, history is repeating itself.
Raila and President Ruto signed a joint Kenya Kwanza-ODM framework agreement. The public has been presented with a 10-point political agenda, but sources including reports from the dailies, indicate the actual agreement signed at the State House in Mombasa centers on power-sharing.
The deal reportedly includes additional cabinet positions, leadership roles in key parliamentary committees and at least 10 principal secretary appointments for Raila’s allies.
While political realignments are a common feature in democracies, the outcomes of these alliances raise concerns about their true purpose.
Kenya’s pressing issues, including poverty, unemployment and inequality, among others, are rarely resolved by these deals.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics 2023 Economic Survey, the country’s unemployment rate stood at 12.7 per cent, with youth being the most affected.
Rather than tackling these issues, political agreements often sideline citizens.
A 2024 Afrobarometer survey revealed that 68 per cent of Kenyans believe political leaders prioritise their interests over public service. This is particularly damaging in a country where many young people are already disillusioned with the political system.
As the Bible states in Matthew 7:20, “By their fruits, you will know them”; therefore, the outcomes of these political dealings speak for themselves—while power circulates among a select few, the aspirations of ordinary Kenyans remain largely unmet.
Former US President John F. Kennedy said, “Let us not seek to x the blame for the past – let us accept our own responsibility for the future.”
Kenyan youth, especially Gen Z, must recognise that the nation’s future lies in their hands and that political awareness alone is not enough.
Active participation in governance through voting, civic engagement, and holding leaders accountable is crucial. Change will not come from political deals made behind closed doors but from WE THE PEOPLE.
Annet Nerima, Manager for Inclusion and Political Justice at the Kenya Human Rights Commission
