Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Defence Soipan Tuya has responded to claims of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga that he saved President William Ruto from a military takeover at the height of the anti-government protests in June and July 2024.
Tuya, in a statement issued via her official social media accounts on Monday, March 17, 2025, dismissed the reports that appeared in one of the local dailies over the weekend as false, baseless, unfounded, misleading, and reckless.
“The articles that cite an undisclosed source allege that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, in an exclusive interview, claimed he prevented a military coup against His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces. The ministry categorically states that the claims in the newspaper articles are false, baseless, unfounded, misleading, and indeed reckless,” the statement read in part.
Tuya defends KDF
Tuya further defended the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), noting that it is a professional and apolitical institution committed to the highest standards of integrity, discipline, and service to the nation.
She went ahead to affirm the military’s loyalty to the head of state, saying that they operate free from political influence or sectarian interests.
“The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) is a professional and apolitical institution committed to the highest standards of integrity, discipline, and service to the nation. KDF remains unwavering in its loyalty to the Commander-in-Chief and its duty to safeguard the security and well-being of Kenya and her people, free from political influence or sectarian interests,” Tuya stated.
Moreover, CS Tuya accused the local daily of publishing the viral articles based on unverified claims from an undisclosed source.
Mixed reactions
This comes just a day after the media report sparked mixed reactions from both Raila’s allies and leaders affiliated with the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Despite the local daily stating that Raila had made the claims of saving Ruto from a military coup during an exclusive interview that was conducted at the former prime minister’s Karen residence, a section of the critics still called out the media house, claiming that they had drawn the claims from his speech at the burial of the late retired military pilot James Gitahi.
ODM Communications Director Philip Etale is among Raila’s allies who argued that the 2022 Azimio presidential flag bearer had not made such claims during his speech at Gitahi’s burial on Saturday, March 15, 2025.
Etale would later pull down his post after a section of Kenyans reminded him that the local daily had not quoted Raila from his speech at the funeral but from an exclusive interview that they had with him.
