Kuria cautions leaders against treating Raila as political cure-all

By Newsflash Repoter

Former Cabinet Secretary and ex-presidential advisor Moses Kuria has cautioned both the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and county governors against relying too heavily on opposition leader Raila Odinga for political legitimacy and decision-making.

Speaking on Tuesday night, Kuria argued that many leaders appear to treat Raila as a universal solution to political challenges, a mindset he described as outdated and unsustainable.

“My good friend Baba is being misused by two kinds of people. The first category believes that as long as you have Baba, you have the solution to everything. Baba is not mwarubaini that can cure all diseases. Society has changed, and that reality is about to crumble,” Kuria said.

Warning to UDA and governors

Kuria stressed that while Raila remains a significant political figure, UDA should avoid leaning on his influence for convenience. “It is within my province to caution them that Baba is not mwarubaini,” he remarked, adding that he is not a UDA member but felt compelled to issue the warning.

He singled out county governors, accusing some of them of invoking Raila’s name to shield themselves from scrutiny. Kuria said certain governors are misusing Raila’s opinions to resist accountability measures such as Senate oversight.

Also Read: Murkomen issues warning to Gachagua ahead of his return

“Some other people called governors, stop using Baba as an influencer for all those policy changes. Even from his views of saying the Senate should not summon governors, tangu lini? That’s very clear,” Kuria said.

Raila’s stance on Senate oversight

Kuria’s comments come days after Raila suggested that senators should not summon governors to respond to questions about devolved functions such as roads. Instead, he argued, that responsibility lies with Members of County Assemblies (MCAs).

“Oversighting governors is the responsibility of MCAs, not the Senate. Senators are wasting the governor’s time, to come and answer questions about roads,” Raila told a joint parliamentary group meeting between ODM and UDA lawmakers.

The remarks stirred debate over the proper role of the Senate in holding governors accountable, with some critics accusing Raila of undermining institutional checks and balances.

Kuria urged leaders to respect established processes and institutions instead of relying on Raila’s influence to dictate policy or shield themselves from accountability.

“The reality is that we must strengthen institutions, not personalities. Governance must be guided by law, not patronage,” he said.