“Raila Was a Coward” Former Ally Claims He Never Fought His Own Battles

Photo of Late Raila Odinga and Edwin Sifuna. PHOTO/ NEWSFLASH.

Former Lake Basin Development Authority chairman Odoyo Owidi has described the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga as a “coward” in physical political confrontations, opening up about the political battles, alliances and disagreements that eventually pushed him out of ODM.

Speaking on the Iko Nini Podcast, Owidi said his description of Raila was not about the former ODM leader’s political courage, but about his willingness to personally confront opponents when political disputes turned physical.

“I dare say, Raila in physical confrontations, he was a coward,” Owidi said. “He never went to any battle himself. Raila himself never stood in the scene of a political, physical battle. Never.”

His remarks come as a reflection on a relationship that moved between political loyalty and deep disagreement, including his defence of Raila’s 2018 handshake with former President Uhuru Kenyatta and his eventual decision to return to President William Ruto’s political camp.

Why Owidi Says Raila Avoided Physical Confrontations

Owidi’s “coward” description emerged during a discussion about allegations that Raila’s political machinery used groups of supporters to confront opponents.

He alleged that Raila’s political influence in parts of the former Nyanza region was at times backed by groups that disrupted rival political activities, arguing that the former ODM leader himself did not take part in such physical confrontations.

Owidi cited several historical incidents involving rival political gatherings and individuals who opposed Raila, presenting them as examples of what he described as a broader political culture in which opponents could be intimidated or prevented from operating freely.

His criticism of political violence was also tied to a more fundamental disagreement with Raila. Owidi said he believed political loyalty within the Luo community had increasingly been treated as an obligation rather than a choice.

That disagreement, he suggested, was one of the reasons his relationship with Raila eventually deteriorated.

The ODM ticket dispute that pushed Owidi away

Owidi’s break with Raila was rooted in more than ideological differences. He pointed to his experience seeking the ODM ticket for the Kasipul parliamentary seat as a turning point.

He claimed he had secured the ticket but that it was later cancelled and handed to incumbent Ong’ondo Were after what he described as intervention by Gladys Wanga and Were.

Owidi said he subsequently looked to Raila for an alternative political appointment. According to him, Raila indicated that he could help him secure a County Executive Committee position in Kisumu and would speak to Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o.

The arrangement, he claimed, never materialised.

Owidi said Nyong’o later told him he had not received such a request from Raila, leaving him convinced that promises made to him would not translate into action.

“I decided, let it be. Let me go and support people who will support you if you support them,” he said.

That experience became part of Owidi’s wider criticism of how political allies were rewarded. He argued that Raila could work closely with people who were useful to him but was less willing to accommodate politicians who could develop an independent electoral base.

Owidi specifically cited Wanga as an example, alleging that she enjoyed longstanding political favour within Homa Bay. He used her rise as part of his argument that political competition had not always been allowed to develop freely within the region.

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For Owidi, the issue was bigger than one nomination. He described his main disagreement with Raila as a “lack of democracy within the Luo land”, arguing that a shared desire to produce a president had sometimes been used to secure loyalty to particular candidates.

From handshake defender to Raila critic

Owidi’s account is complicated by the fact that he was once among Raila’s defenders.

After Raila and Uhuru Kenyatta announced their 2018 handshake, Owidi said he stood up for the agreement at a time when it faced criticism from bloggers and some supporters.

He recalled Raila asking him to defend the handshake on Ramogi and later on Citizen TV. According to Owidi, Raila subsequently told him that he wanted to work with him in Uhuru’s government.

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Owidi linked that conversation to his eventual appointment as chairman of the Lake Basin Development Authority.

His account of the period shows why his later criticism is rooted in a relationship that was not simply one of opposition. He had benefited from Raila’s political confidence, defended one of the former ODM leader’s most consequential political decisions and remained in ODM even after disagreements had emerged.

By the 2022 election, however, Owidi said he had decided that regional political realities still required him to remain within ODM despite his reservations about Raila.

He eventually left and returned to Ruto’s camp, saying he viewed Ruto’s approach to political support differently.

Owidi claimed Ruto recognised political backing as a choice made by supporters, while Raila treated loyalty more like an obligation.

Owidi Warns Sifuna

Owidi’s reflections also turned to current ODM politics, including remarks directed at former ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna.

During the interview, Owidi warned Sifuna to be careful, saying he had observed that the Nairobi senator did not take care of himself.

The warning came in the context of Owidi’s wider discussion about political confrontations, including his references to Linda Mwanachi and political events involving ODM figures.