Ruth Odinga has said she will seek the ODM nomination for Kisumu governor through the party’s competitive primaries, rejecting any suggestion that her family background should give her an easier path to the 2027 election.
The Kisumu Woman Representative said she expects to face other aspirants for the party ticket and will only ask for a fair contest in which voters determine who emerges as the ODM candidate.
“I never asked for a direct party ticket when former Prime Minister Raila Odinga (Baba) was alive, and not now as well. All I ask for is a level playing field so that the best carries the day,” she said.
Ruth is seeking to take over from Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o and become the third person to lead Kisumu County since the introduction of devolved government.
She said she understands why her surname could create the impression that the ODM ticket would be reserved for her, but maintained that she does not want to benefit from such assumptions.
The legislator has also maintained a long-standing position against what she calls “kubebwa mkono juu”, where a politician is given a party ticket without going through a competitive nomination process.
“For the record, as a politician, I have been against 'kubebwa mkono juu', which, in other words, means being given a direct ODM party ticket regardless of your popularity on the ground,” she said.
Her current bid is not her first attempt at the Kisumu governor’s position. Ruth entered the race in 2013, shortly after counties began operating under the devolved system created by the 2010 Constitution.
At the time, she had been involved in the campaign for the Constitution in Nyanza. The campaign was led by her brother, Dr Oburu Oginga, who is now the ODM party leader.
Ruth also pointed to her experience in the private sector as part of what prepared her for leadership. She previously served as the chief executive officer of a major Kisumu-based company with more than 700 employees.
Her 2013 gubernatorial campaign, however, came as Raila was making his third attempt to become President.
Ruth said some ODM officials were concerned that her campaign for the Kisumu governor’s seat could weaken Raila’s political support in the county.
She nevertheless entered the party nominations and defeated Jack Ranguma, who was her closest challenger.
Ruth later pulled out of the race and became Ranguma’s deputy, serving in that position for five years.
The 2017 elections presented another change in direction. ODM leaders selected Nyong’o to carry the party’s flag for the Kisumu governor’s seat, while Ruth said she was again discouraged from pursuing an elective position because of concerns over her family’s political influence.
She instead accepted a role in Nyong’o’s administration, serving as a special adviser on disaster management.
By 2022, Ruth said she could not go after the governor’s seat because Nyong’o was seeking a second term. Her focus shifted to Raila’s presidential campaign, although she was later encouraged to contest for an elective position while backing his presidential bid.
She subsequently entered the Kisumu Woman Representative race.
Ruth said she had an opportunity to receive the ODM ticket without a contest but chose to go through the party nominations instead.
Her decision paid off when she won the primaries and later secured the seat in the General Election with 304,419 votes. Her nearest opponent received 80,117 votes.
She now says that experience remains central to her approach to the 2027 governor’s race, arguing that going through a competitive process gives candidates a stronger mandate.
“Looking back, that was one of the best political decisions I have ever made. Had I been handed the ODM certificate on a silver platter in 2022, ningeambia watu nini in 2027?” she said.