HOMA BAY, KENYA
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has fiercely defended his loyalty to the late opposition icon Raila Odinga.
The CS has dismissed accusations from the Odinga family that he is attempting to dismantle the legacy of his political mentor.
Speaking to a charged crowd in Homa Bay, Mbadi hit back against escalating attacks from the late leader’s family and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party rebels.
He firmly asserted his role in managing the delicate transition of the party in the post-Raila political landscape.
The public fallout was ignited by a fierce ideological civil war within ODM following the party’s entry into a broad-based government with President William Ruto.
The friction reached a boiling point after an ODM leadership retreat in Mombasa.
Mbadi bluntly declared that the party does not belong to a single family.
He urged members to move past the habit of constantly invoking “what Baba said” to dictate party matters.
His remarks drew immediate, blistering retaliation from the Odinga family and key party stalwarts:
- Ruth Odinga (Kisumu Woman Representative & Sister to Raila): Ruth publicly blasted Mbadi on social media, accusing him of attempting to “demonise the Odinga name” and dismiss the family’s historical sacrifices.
- She claimed Mbadi was acting out of self-preservation to protect his Cabinet position, warning that while Raila was laid to rest, his followers and legacy could not be coerced or sold out.
- Winnie Odinga (EALA MP & Daughter to Raila): Winnie took a direct swipe at Mbadi during a public gathering in Kisii.
- She pointedly reminded him that the National Treasury is a public service office meant to manage the economy  not a personal platform to “abuse and talk down at us”.
- She urged him to “talk less and work more”.
- Mama Ida Odinga (Widow of Raila Odinga): Pushing back strongly against the narrative that her husband’s political era has concluded, Mama Ida referenced Shakespeare and historical African philosophy to describe Raila as part of the “living dead”.
- She asserted that his spirit and ideology remain active.
- She added that politicians get prematurely excited thinking his influence is gone.
- Edwin Sifuna (Nairobi Senator & ODM SG): Sifuna publicly admitted that ODM was facing acute internal contradictions and ideological confusion because of its alignment with the current government.
- This factional friction further isolated Mbadi.
 Mbadi’s refusal to back down under the weight of the family’s coordinated pushback clarified his stance while laying down his political credentials:
“Let me clarify, nothing I said should be interpreted as disrespect toward the late Raila Amolo Odinga. The respect I had for Raila Odinga, and which I have no reason to withdraw even in death, is well known.I have probably worked with Baba longer than most people. I started working with him in 1992 when I was just 20 years old, and no one forced me to do so. I served him diligently, and that is why he chose to reward me.He appointed me as Assistant Minister in his office. He made me the chairman of his party for 10 years. He also made me the Minority Leader for five years, and later a minister. If it were not for Raila Odinga, I would not be a minister today.Even my position as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee was because of him. So the respect between me and Baba is well documented. It is known, we respected each other, and I still respect him even in death.The only thing I said, and I want to repeat, is this: if we want to maintain Baba’s legacy, then we must keep ODM strong and united. We must keep ODM strong and united.At the moment, we have the leadership of ODM, and we chose Oburu not simply because he is Raila’s brother, no.”
Mbadi’s response marks a pivotal turning point in the struggle for Nyanza region’s political kingpinship and the national survival of ODM.
By defending the appointment of Dr. Oburu Oginga to help pilot the party, Mbadi is positioning himself as a pragmatist looking toward structural institutionalism rather than family entitlement.
However, with the Odinga family actively drawing a line in the sand and mobilizing grassroots support, this public exchange signals a deep, protracted battle over who truly controls the heart, soul and future direction of Kenya’s largest opposition movement.
