The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party Vice Chairperson and Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo has warned party members against excessively bragging about being in the broad-based government.
The lawmaker who spoke on Saturday, November 29, at a church service warned that chest-thumping about being in the broad-based arrangement could lower the party's bargaining power.
Amollo pointed out that despite the Kikuyu community holding far more positions in the Kenya Kwanza administration, they remain strategic about their association with President William Ruto.
He insisted that constant bragging could weaken the party and diminish its bargaining power ahead of the 2027 general elections.
"Kikuyus have more posts in this government than we. We only have two cabinet positions while the Kikuyus have eight. We have only four principal secretaries while Kikuyus have 12, but you don't hear them bragging," Otiende Amollo said.
"Why are we the ones who are bragging too much? If we start bragging too much, we start reducing our value. We must stand with the party. For us to go into the government, we must first wait until we are called; this will make us valuable," he added.
According to the lawmaker, political value increases when others need you, not when you show that you need them, adding that ODM politicians should hence stay disciplined and be guided by the party principles.
He noted that staying united as a party would trigger the government into seeking their assistance ahead of the 2027 general elections, thus giving ODM better negotiation power for positions.
Amollo explained that he had intentionally kept a low profile following the demise of ODM leader Raila Odinga, noting that the party was navigating an extremely difficult period.
"Some of you have been wondering why I have not spoken lately. I had chosen not to speak because we are at a very difficult time, first we just lost our leader, Raila Odinga, and no one anticipated it," the MP stated.
He went ahead to criticise the surge of claims from a section of politicians alleging private conversations with the late Raila, dismissing such narratives as baseless.
According to him, only what the late former Prime Minister said publicly should guide the party.
"The only thing that we can believe is what Raila spoke in public. And the only thing that Raila said is that we are gonna be in this government up to 2027. Beyond 2027, it is we who are alive to determine," Amollo reiterated.
