By KPC Reporter
The political friendship between opposition leaders Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka has descended into acrimony, with accusations of misinformation and political desperation fueling a public spat over Odinga’s health.
Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) fired the first salvo on Sunday, October 5, blaming a faction led by impeached former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, and Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K) boss Eugene Wamalwa for spreading “fake news” about Odinga’s well-being.
In a statement signed by spokesperson Dennis Onyango, ODM accused the group of a “frenzy” of disinformation, including AI-generated images, to bully Odinga and provide a “back for them to ride on in their struggle against President William Ruto.”
The statement detailed Odinga’s recent travel out of the country on Friday evening—one of many trips this year—and dismissed rumors of hospitalization as baseless.
“He is not indisposed, as prayed for by his frustrated opponents,” it stated.
Wiper hit back swiftly in a statement by Secretary-General Sen. Shakila Abdalla, branding ODM’s outburst “nothing short of political theatre—an act of desperation from a once-respected movement that has lost both its moral compass and political relevance.”
Abdalla accused ODM of attempting to “drag Musyoka into their self-inflicted political decay,” insisting, “Kalonzo Musyoka harbours no ill will whatsoever towards Mr. Odinga.”
“The two leaders share a long public history of cooperation and mutual respect. Any suggestion that Kalonzo wishes harm upon Raila is malicious, reckless, and utterly false.”
The exchange underscores deepening fractures in the Azimio la Umoja coalition, once a powerhouse against President William Ruto.
Tensions simmered after Odinga’s March 2025 MoU with Ruto’s UDA, which Musyoka decried as “betrayal,” declaring Azimio “defunct.”
Cabinet appointments of four ODM figures further strained the ties, with Wiper feeling sidelined.