Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has indicated that the reason most Kenyans are opposed to key government projects is that they are not properly involved in them.
Speaking during the second day of the national executive retreat at the KCB Leadership Centre in Karen on Friday, June 20, 2025, Raila appealed to President William Ruto to ensure Kenyans take ownership of government projects to avoid resistance.
“With lessons from the recent past, I would say that going forward, everything has to be about the people, not the leaders,” Raila said.
Ownership of govt projects
“One of the lessons I hope we have picked is that without the people’s understanding and ownership of government policy design and execution, a perception will persist that the government is not delivering.”
The ODM party leader equally urged the government to continue with the policy of not leaving anyone behind, stating that this was the panacea to the growing opposition to state projects.
“It is my hope that this policy and performance review could lead to a better understanding and ownership of the government by the people,” Raila observed.
“So, the persistent concern going forward must be, are we carrying the people along?” he posed.
Following the Gen Z protests in 2024, radical political formations emerged in the country, resulting in the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, the co-opting of Raila’s ODM Party into Ruto’s government, and the disintegration of the opposition coalition.
Reverse key projects
Gachagua has since taken the face of the opposition politics, promising to reverse most of the signature projects of the UDA government, including the affordable housing unit, the controversial Universal Health Coverage deductions, and predatory tax policies.
The opposition politicians have now become a thorn in the flesh of the state in its attempts to market government projects as a sustainable route to transform the country.
Another state project that has faced constant criticism is the labour mobility programme, which is targeted at bridging the soaring unemployment in the country.
However, leaders of the opposition have constantly accused the government of disposing of the productive youth in foreign countries, observing that it was evidence of the government’s failure to provide jobs despite promising a million jobs yearly during the 2022 campaigns.
“Kazi Majuu is not a migration programme. It is a labour mobility programme to assist workers in accessing jobs outside Kenya. They are still Kenyans; they remain patriotic, love their country, and the opportunities provided by our friends are for them to go and work,” Kindiki said on December 11, 2024.
“We are not disposing of our people to other countries but securing them job opportunities abroad, to earn a decent living, utilise their skills, and reinvest back home.”
