President William Ruto during a church service at Voice of Salvation and Healing church in Kisumu on September 13, 2026/PCS
President William Ruto has pledged to work with ODM leaders and supporters to advance the development legacy of the late opposition chief Raila Odinga, saying his administration will ensure his vision for Kenya lives on.
Speaking at the Voice of Salvation and Healing Church in Mamboleo, Kisumu, on Sunday, Ruto said although it would be difficult to replace Raila, his legacy could be sustained through development and cooperation.
“It may not be possible to replace the late Raila Odinga, but we can work to make sure that his legacy is carried on in the development of our nation,” Ruto said.
The President described himself as a student of the late opposition leader and assured ODM supporters that he would continue walking with them.
“I want to assure you that as a student of the late Raila Odinga, I will walk with you. ODM and UDA are not competitors but rather collaborators, and I will ensure his legacy lives on,” he said.
Ruto said he had returned to Kisumu to account for promises he made to Kenyans four years ago, arguing that his administration had made significant progress despite inheriting an economy burdened by debt and high inflation.
“We had an economy that was burdened with a lot of debts and inflation was high, but I can now confidently say our economy is stable and today the economy is the sixth largest economy in Africa,” he said.
The President said the government had also made progress in road construction and was now up to date with its programmes across the country.
He cited reforms in agriculture as another achievement, saying the government had addressed food security challenges by making fertiliser available to farmers at Sh2,000.
Ruto said similar reforms had been undertaken in the sugar, coffee and tea sectors to improve production and returns to farmers.
On education, the President said his administration had transformed the country's education system and stabilised the sector.
He also highlighted the Social Health Authority, saying it had registered 34 million Kenyans compared with about eight million who were covered under the former National Hospital Insurance Fund.
Ruto further linked some of his administration's flagship projects to Raila's long-standing development agenda, citing the Standard Gauge Railway, affordable housing and job creation.
“There are three things that the late Raila Odinga would be proud of. One is the Standard Gauge Railway, which has started from Narok to Kisumu. Another programme is the creation of jobs through the housing project,” he said.
He described affordable housing as a major development programme capable of creating employment opportunities for young people while expanding access to decent housing.
His remarks came as ODM national chairperson Gladys Wanga maintained that the party remained united and would not be swayed by what she termed mixed political signals.
“We as ODM are standing as one and nothing is going to divide us, no matter what,” Wanga said.
The Homa Bay Governor said the development projects being implemented in Luo Nyanza under the broad-based arrangement were sufficient reason for the community to continue supporting the partnership.
“The kind of developments we have seen in Luo Nyanza are reason enough to be in the broad-based government. Tomorrow you will see why we stand as a community,” she said.
Wanga warned those seeking to persuade ODM supporters to abandon the arrangement that the party would not listen to what she described as confusing messages.
“People who are trying to give us mixed signals are people we are not going to listen to, no matter what,” she said.
