President William Ruto has responded to calls by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Deputy Party Leader, Simba Arati, to rejoin the party.
Speaking during the ODM Founders Dinner on Saturday, the President maintained his loyalty to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) but insisted he would still support the broad-based government.
Wearing a yellow Kaunda suit to represent UDA and an orange hat to represent ODM, Ruto, who is a founding member of ODM and has even served as a deputy party leader for the same, jested that he had to include the yellow colour to avoid rumours that he had left the ruling party.
"Earlier today, I was in Kitui, and I knew that when I come for this ODM meeting, Simba Arati will start telling me to join ODM because he is used to saying it," Ruto said, eliciting chuckles from the crowd.
"I knew the UDA members would think I had left them, so I decided to wear yellow so that they could see I was still with them. But I had to mix with orange so that they can see I am still broad-based. I hear the Ukambani colour is also yellow, so I started in Kitui, then I came here."
However, he committed that his administration would offer any needed support to the ODM Party going forward, even highlighting the ODM Party members currently serving in his Cabinet.
Over the past few weeks, since the demise of former ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga, there have been a few calls for Ruto to rejoin the party.
Speaking on October 20, just five days after Raila's demise, Governor Arati relayed that if President Ruto were to join the party, he would automatically be considered its presidential candidate in the 2027 General Election.
He was referencing the President's earlier remarks about ODM's legacy and calls for unity within the party as a key indicator of his good standing with the party.
“The President yesterday said he is going to ensure that ODM remains the party it is. I want to urge him today, Mheshimiwa Ruto, you were a founding member of ODM. How I wish that you would come back to your former party,” Arati said.
A few days later, Arati extended the invitation to other former ODM members, including former President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, to also rejoin the party so as to guarantee a second term for the Kenya Kwanza administration.
"As the deputy party leader, we have told President William Ruto to come back to ODM," the Kisii governor said on October 25. "We also want to tell Uhuru Kenyatta and even Kalonzo, who was also in ODM, to come back to honour Raila Odinga by coming back to ODM so that we can win in 2027."
