Deputy Party leader Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) Cleophas Malalah has launched a scathing attack on Raila Odinga, accusing the opposition leader of seeking influence in government without shouldering any real responsibility.
Speaking during a morning discussion on a local TV station on Monday, June 23, 2025, Malalah claimed that Raila has never genuinely pursued the presidency, but rather prefers to enjoy the perks of power from behind the scenes.
“I’ve come to realise that Raila Odinga has never been interested to be president of this country,” Malalah said. “He wants to be in power without responsibility.”
Malalah pointed to the agreement between the Kenya Kwanza government and Azimio as evidence.
“They got into the broad-based arrangement with a ten-point agenda, but up to now, they have never even sat for a single meeting to address those issues,” he said. “Raila enjoys being in government, receiving protection, privileges, and making appointments, but he avoids accountability.”
The former Kakamega Senator also accused Raila of political double-speak.
“This is a stage-managed marriage with Ruto. When things go wrong, Raila sends Sifuna to say, ‘That was not part of our agreement’. But when things are calm, he knows how to behave while eating. Table manners,” Malalah added.
Raila’s shifting policy stance
He further criticised Raila’s shifting stance on national issues.
“Last year, he led demonstrations against the high cost of living and the Adani takeover of JKIA. Now he’s defending the same Adani project, calling its cancellation a mistake. It’s all political convenience.”
Just days earlier, Raila expressed disappointment over the government’s decision to terminate the Adani airport deal, saying it was a missed opportunity for Kenya.
“I was very disappointed when we were not able to move on with the airport contract,” Raila said on June 20 during the 3rd National Executive Retreat. He argued that Kenya risks falling behind regional competitors like Addis Ababa and Kigali due to stalled infrastructure.
Malalah was quick to dismiss these remarks as hypocrisy.
“Now that his people are appointed in government in the name of donating experts, they’re overseeing budget-making and implementation. ODM is in charge of the Treasury,” he said. “In this year’s budget, basic commodities are no longer zero-rated. It’s ODM’s own people pushing policies that raise the cost of living.”
He concluded by saying Raila “doesn’t mean what he says,” and urged Kenyans to see through what he described as a carefully crafted image masking real political motives.
Kenneth Mwenda
Kenneth Mwenda is a digital writer with over five years of experience. He graduated in February 2022 with a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from The Co-operative University of Kenya. He has written news and feature stories for platforms such as Construction Review Online, Sports Brief, Briefly News, and Criptonizando. In 2023, he completed a course in Digital Investigation Techniques with AFP. He joined K24 Digital in May 2025. For inquiries, he can be reached at [email protected].
