Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has detailed talks he had with President William Ruto over the nominations to the Cabinet.
Speaking in Siaya County on Saturday, July 27, Raila revealed that he talked with the President after the Cabinet was dissolved.
At the time, he indicated that he advised the President to replace the dismissed CSs with people of his own choice.
According to Raila, the opposition was only going to suggest names of CSs after a national dialogue had been held and an agreement on the way forward signed.
However, he detailed that Ruto informed him that he could not wait for that long as the CS positions could not remain vacant.
"I told Ruto the other day that since he had fired his Cabinet, he needed to put his people and that we would submit our recommendations after we have had the national dialogue.
"However, he told me that he wanted to be fast with the nominations as the positions could not remain vacant. So he told me that he would place his own people and then we would talk later," he revealed.
It was at this point that Ruto picked some members of his party.
Given that the names were not forwarded by ODM, Raila noted that he cautioned Ruto against apportioning blame on the opposition if the four ODM nominees failed at their work.
"Afterwards, he picked some of our people (from ODM). I then told him that he should not say that we are the ones who gave him the names should they fail to deliver.
"We have released them. We do not have a coalition agreement with the government," Raila reiterated.
ODM leaders who have been picked to join the Cabinet include nominated MP John Mbadi (Treasury), former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho (Mining), Former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives) and Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi (Energy).
Meanwhile, he advised the ODM leaders who were nominated to the Cabinet to serve Kenyans diligently while observing the principles of the party.
He maintained that ODM was still in the opposition, tabling four demands to the government before the anticipated national dialogue.
The ODM boss demanded the compensation of families of those who were killed in protests in 2023 and 2024. Raila also demanded the government to foot the bill for those injured in hospitals.
He also noted that he was pushing for the release of those who had been arrested even as he added that the government must withdraw cases against those charged for protesting.
