Will Ruto-Raila pact change political wave in Nakuru West?

The events that took place on March 7 at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) between President William Ruto and Raila Odinga reaffirms the statement, “The only constant thing in politics is change.”

But how will this move impact the political landscape in Nakuru County?

Well for starters, Nakuru is largely considered part of the Mount Kenya region with an exception of Nakuru West sub county which is dominantly an ODM zone.

In the last general elections for example, as the UDA wave took over the County, Odinga garnered 36,824 votes, while Ruto got 32,982 in Nakuru West.

When Mr Odinga led protests in Nairobi in 2023, saying there was a lack of transparency in the general elections, other parts of the country followed suit.

However, in Nakuru, these protests only occurred in Nakuru Town West.

Some people who are die-hard supporters of ‘Baba’ as Mr Odinga is fondly referred to, feel betrayed. One such person is Robert Makoha, the President of Bunge la Mwananchi in Nakuru.

"He (Raila) was the opposition leader, but now he is in government. There is no clear line between government and opposition. The ripple effect of this is that there will be no one to keep the government in check, and issues around SHA, education, and the economy at large will continue to deteriorate," he says.

Makoha acknowledges that, although this agreement will have a ripple effect across the country, it has also changed the dynamics of politics in Nakuru Town West.

“Nakuru West is a major stronghold for the former Prime Minister, and people such as myself, who are aspiring for political positions in 2027, will have to go back to the drawing board, and decide which party to vie with,” he says.

Wycliffe Ongera shares the sentiments of Robert Makoha saying he feels betrayed, especially after they envisioned Odinga as someone who fights for the common wananchi.

“Raila did not enter into this agreement to benefit Kenya; it was for his own interest. This whole agreement came in the wake of Gen Z protests. He should have taken that opportunity to address the issues that Gen Z wanted, instead of joining hands with the government,” he says.

Ongera however notes that as things stand, the political landscape of the country is still unstable, and by the time we reach 2027, there will be many changes.

Additionally, he says, “In the last elections, I vied for the MCA seat on an Ubuntu People Forum party ticket and lost to someone who was in ODM. I would like to vie again for a political seat in the coming elections, so the current political climate is something I am keeping a close eye on.”

On his part, Laban Omusundi, a good governance champion, reaffirms the fact that the agreement between the two was just to satisfy their own needs, and the common mwananchi was never considered.

“At this moment, Kenyans should start to think of ways to not depend on these political bigwigs, but rather look within to see how they can effectively initiate change. We should tap into this to effect change for a better Nakuru when it comes to the elections,” he concludes.