Gaucho Okoth Accuses Ruto Allies of Betraying Luo Voters in Nairobi Political Power Deals
A fresh political storm is brewing after activist Gaucho Calvince Okoth publicly accused allies of William Ruto of sidelining the Luo community in Nairobi despite its long standing political support.
Okoth, a vocal grassroots mobilizer within the Orange Democratic Movement support base, said many Luo voters are quietly questioning how the community is being treated within the emerging political arrangements involving the ruling United Democratic Alliance.
Speaking in a strongly worded statement, Okoth reflected on a past conversation he had with Raila Odinga at Riat in Kisumu. According to him, Odinga urged supporters to remain loyal to ODM because the party would remain the community’s vehicle for negotiating political power at the national level.
But Okoth now argues that recent political developments suggest that Luo voters are being pushed to the sidelines.
At the center of the controversy are emerging political endorsements within Nairobi politics ahead of the next election cycle.
Okoth questioned why leaders allied to the ruling side appear to be encouraging Lang’ata Member of Parliament Felix Odiwuor to contest the Nairobi Senate seat.
He argues that shifting Jalang’o from the Lang’ata parliamentary seat to the Senate weakens the community’s influence in the capital.
According to Okoth, a Member of Parliament has direct influence in community development through bursaries, constituency projects, and local support programs. He says removing such a leader from that position reduces the community’s ability to access those resources.
He also raised concerns about proposals for Kasarani Member of Parliament Ronald Karauri to run for the Nairobi governor position.
Okoth claims the political arrangement being discussed would leave the Luo community with little influence despite its strong voter base in the city.
His criticism centers on what he describes as an unfair distribution of political positions.
According to him, the ruling side already controls the presidency and other top national offices yet appears to be pushing for the Nairobi governor seat as well.
Meanwhile, he argues that the Senate seat being proposed for ODM aligned leaders is a minor political position compared to the governor role.
Okoth says many Luo supporters feel they are being treated as voting partners rather than equal political stakeholders.
He warned that political leaders should not assume that the Luo community has lost its influence simply because Raila Odinga is less active in daily political mobilization.
According to him, ODM supporters remain a powerful political force in Nairobi and across the country.
Okoth also urged leaders within the ruling coalition not to dictate candidates for ODM strongholds.
He said many Luo voters are watching closely and quietly assessing how the political partnership is evolving.
Despite his criticism, Okoth insisted that many Luo voters remain open to supporting President Ruto’s leadership.
He said the community is prepared to back Ruto for two terms if the political relationship is based on fairness and respect.
At the same time, he called for recognition of the sacrifices made by Luo youth during past political protests, arguing that many of them suffered heavily during demonstrations.
Okoth expressed confidence in senior ODM leaders including Oburu Odinga, Gladys Wanga and Junet Mohamed.
He said the leaders have a responsibility to ensure that any political partnership protects the interests of the Luo community.
For now, Okoth says Luo voters remain patient but cautious.
His warning to political leaders is clear.
Support from a community should never be mistaken for silence or weakness.
