President William Ruto/PCS
President William Ruto has made a startling revelation
regarding the behind-the-scenes negotiations that birthed his broad-based
government in 2024.
Speaking at State House, Nairobi, the Head of State disclosed that the late opposition chief Raila Odinga actively opposed the appointment of a leader from the Luo Nyanza region to the powerful National Treasury docket.
The President made the remarks while receiving a comprehensive report on the Framework for Reparations for Victims of Human Rights Violations.
According to Ruto, he had to directly defy the veteran opposition leader to ensure the region secured the finance portfolio, a move he argued was crucial to shattering long-standing political stereotypes.
Recalling the high-stakes consultations that took place during a period of immense political upheaval, Ruto stated that Raila had entirely different plans for the crucial ministry.
"When it came to the formation of the broad-based government, I remember well my brother Raila Odinga had a different opinion on who should be the Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury," Ruto revealed.
The President explained that he stood his ground against Raila’s proposal to award the docket to another region.
"I remember I told him, 'My brother, if there is one place I will defy you, is that I am going to appoint a person from Luo Nyanza to be the first Cabinet Secretary or minister for Finance.'"
Ultimately, the slot was handed to the then-Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) National Chairman, John Mbadi, who took over the reins at the National Treasury.
Ruto framed his defiance not as a political betrayal, but as a deliberate effort to correct historical prejudices and heal ethnic divisions.
He noted that certain communities had historically been locked out of specific government sectors due to systemic profiling.
"Again, it was to correct a negative profiling of a whole community, that the economy belongs to certain people," Ruto asserted.
He drew parallels between Mbadi’s appointment and his controversial 2023 decision to appoint the late General Francis Ogolla as the Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
"When I decided to appoint General Francis Ogolla to
lead the Kenya Defence Forces, I was correcting the negative profiling that
some positions are reserved for some people and some positions can never be
occupied by others," Ruto said, describing the practice as "an
injustice and a stigma on a whole community" that urgently needed
correction.
The broad-based government was established following months of intense political tension and nationwide, youth-led protests that shook the Kenya Kwanza administration to its core.
In a bid to foster national unity and restore economic
stability, Ruto reached across the aisle, bringing several vocal critics into
his inner circle.
