National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, speaking during a service at Harvest Center Fellowship Church, Port Victoria, Budalang’i, on Sunday, August 10, 2025. Photo/Speaker’s Press Unit
By Newsflash Writer
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has urged ODM legislators to rally behind President William Ruto’s re-election bid following Raila Odinga’s public declaration of support for the Head of State.
Speaking in Port Victoria, Budalang’i, on Sunday, Wetang’ula warned that ODM leaders resisting or wavering over the emerging Ruto–Raila political pact risked isolating themselves from the party’s new direction.
“Raila has made his choice clear for 2027. ODM leaders who have opposed or sat on the fence, like Hon. Raphael Wanjala, should now join the second-term bandwagon,” said the Speaker during a service at Harvest Center Fellowship Church.
Wetang’ula lauded Raila’s political maturity, recalling how the ODM boss set aside personal ambition to strike a peace deal with then-President Mwai Kibaki after the disputed 2007 election, restoring calm to a deeply divided country.
He also credited Raila for working with Ruto’s administration to defuse tensions during the recent Gen Z protests, saying such gestures had safeguarded national stability.
“If you want to lead this country, you must also be ready to be led,” Wetang’ula stated, urging other presidential hopefuls to emulate Raila’s spirit of compromise.
Wanjala welcomes Raila’s stand
Budalang’i MP Hon. Raphael Wanjala, who had been lukewarm about supporting Dr. Ruto’s re-election, openly welcomed Raila’s pronouncement, admitting it had eased pressure on ODM lawmakers sympathetic to Ruto.
“Some of us feared openly supporting the President because our party leadership would brand us traitors, which could cost us politically. Even when the President visited this region, I kept my distance to avoid trouble. Raila’s stand has freed us from that burden,” said Wanjala.
Read more: Raila, Mudavadi & Weta’s scramble for Mulembe: Who will win?
Wetang’ula used the occasion to renew his call for Luhya unity, claiming the community had never been closer to producing a president than it would be after Ruto’s second term.
“Our unity will only count if we rally behind Prestdent Ruto. He will repay that trust by supporting one of us for the presidency,” he said.
Speaker defends development record
The Speaker also defended the Kenya Kwanza administration’s development record in the region, citing the construction of the Nasewe Export Processing Zone—projected to create over 50,000 jobs, the release of KSh200 million to boost rice farming, and the fast-tracking of national ID issuance.
He described Sio Port as a “gateway to Kenya” with vast untapped economic potential and pledged to lobby for its full development.
Read more: Revealed: Why Mudavadi, Weta skipped Ruto, Raila event
Wetang’ula further promised to push for the upgrading of Port Victoria Level Four Hospital to Level Five status, complete with advanced facilities to reduce referrals to Busia and Siaya.
His pledge followed Wanjala’s appeal for the hospital’s expansion to save residents from travelling long distances for specialised care.
About the Author
