Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has revealed that he never imagined he would one day serve in the executive arm of government, not even if his party leader Raila Odinga had won the presidency in 2022.
Speaking during an interview with a local media station on Thursday, September 25, 2025, Wandayi said his appointment came as a total surprise.
“I did not, for any single moment, imagine that I would be appointed to the position of Cabinet Secretary, not even if Baba had been declared the president,” he said.
Wandayi explained that at the time of the 2022 elections, he was already fully engaged in parliament.
He had been re-elected as Member of Parliament for Ugunja and later given a powerful role as the Leader of Minority.
According to him, leaving such a position for the Cabinet was something he never thought possible.
“Correct, it would have been very, very difficult for me to be appointed the Cabinet Secretary, considering the fact that I was already a Member of Parliament and, above all, a leader of the minority,” Wandayi noted.
The ODM politician further admitted that his current role is a result of unexpected political changes.
He said he never believed that President William Ruto would extend an olive branch to leaders outside the Kenya Kwanza coalition.
“Okay, but things happen because of God’s plans. I never, never knew that at one point in time, President William Ruto would open his government and accommodate persons from ODM or from other parties,” Wandayi stated.
His inclusion in government has been interpreted as part of President Ruto’s wider effort to build unity and reduce political divisions.
While some Kenyans welcomed the move as a show of inclusivity, others within Ruto’s camp questioned the decision to bring in opposition figures.
Wandayi, however, insisted that his focus now is on service delivery rather than politics. He urged leaders from across the political divide to put the people first and work together for the good of the nation.
“I believe we are all here to serve the people of Kenya, regardless of our party colors. At the end of the day, leadership is about service, not positions,” he concluded.
Link;
https://peopledaily.digital/news/wandayi-says-ruto-and-odm-share-common-ideology
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