Jubilee Party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni has accused ODM leader Raila Odinga of betraying Kenyans and his Azimio coalition partners by entering into a political agreement with President William Ruto’s government.
Speaking to a local media station on Monday, March 10, 2025, Kioni expressed particular disappointment over how the deal was reached, suggesting it disregarded established protocols within the Azimio coalition.
“This is quite a level of betrayal—not just to us but to Kenyans who entrusted the law that they gave to us when we put ourselves together as Azimio,” Kioni stated.
He explained that the Jubilee Party felt particularly let down, as Raila’s actions contradicted his prior claims of remaining fully committed to Azimio.
“As Jubilee, we also feel betrayed because once you are in an agreement and there is a way of managing the agreement, you know the other parties have been saying that we have left Azimio and they do it through the form of arrangement,” he added.
Kioni emphasized that while Azimio remains a legally registered coalition, Raila’s collaboration with Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) signifies his formal exit from the coalition.
“Azimio is a grouping that was put together through a legal document, a legal document that was registered with the relevant registry, and the exit of one does not mean the end of the grouping,” Kioni explained.
“Raila was the Party leader of Azimio because it is a coalition, not a political party. And he is getting into a coalition agreement with UDA legally, which means he has exited Azimio,” he added.
Kioni also noted that ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna appeared visibly disappointed during the announcement of the agreement, indicating potential internal discord within the party.
“You could also see it on the face of ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna. He was feeling very betrayed by his own party leader,” Kioni observed.
Despite the shifting political landscape, Kioni asserted that the opposition movement now rests in the hands of ordinary Kenyans, who are more determined than ever to challenge the government.
“The joy or the comfort that we have as a people is that the opposition is now made up of Kenyans themselves. If leaders decide to leave the opposition side, then they’ll leave the Kenyans there because Kenyans are in the opposition like never before,” he concluded.
Ruto-Raila Pact
On Friday, March 7, 2025, President Ruto and Raila Odinga signed a framework agreement that will establish collaboration between the Kenya Kwanza coalition and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party in government.
The agreement, titled ‘Understanding to Resolve the Social and Political Challenges Facing Kenyans,’ aims to address ten key issues affecting the Kenyan population.
The pact seeks to expedite the full implementation of the NADCO report, promote inclusivity in public life, strengthen devolution, protect the livelihoods of young people, uphold leadership and integrity, safeguard the right to peaceful assembly and protest, tackle the national debt, combat corruption, eliminate public resource wastage, enhance government efficiency, and protect the sovereignty of the people, the rule of law, and constitutionalism.
Speaking during the event, Ruto emphasized that the memorandum of understanding is focused on prioritizing the interests of the citizens.
“This moment is not about William Ruto or Raila Odinga; this memorandum of understanding is not about sharing positions or winning elections. It is about the interests of the people of Kenya,” Ruto said.
Raila on the other hand said the MoU will help to ease tensions and alleviate the political, social and economic issues plaguing the country.
“We have agreed to use our parties as a broad platform bringing together various voices, opinions and concerns to address the critical challenges facing the country through a formation that is truly inclusive in outlook. We make it clear that the Memorandum we have signed today does not define the formation of a political coalition between ODM and UDA. However, its successful implementation could inform the basis of steps towards the establishment of a constitutive formation of a stable country in future,” he said.
