Former Attorney General and Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi has strongly criticised ODM leader Raila Odinga’s recent defense of his pact with President William Ruto, terming it reckless and dangerous.
On Monday, Raila told ODM legislators that it was “better to have a bad government than none at all,” arguing that his compromise with Ruto was necessary to stabilize the country following the Gen Z-led protests in 2024.
But in a statement on Tuesday, Muturi accused Raila of normalising impunity and misleading Kenyans into accepting corruption and misrule as unavoidable.
“When Raila Odinga and ODM argue that it is better to have a bad government than none at all, they are dangerously wrong. This statement stokes fear and lulls citizens into accepting mediocrity and grand corruption as the natural order of things,” Muturi said.
The former AG likened Raila’s position to “telling a family whose house is on fire not to complain because they still have a roof, even if it is collapsing.” He stressed that bad governments are not harmless placeholders but “predatory machines” that loot public resources and suffocate hope for progress.
Muturi dismissed Raila’s claim that delegitimising a regime risks instability, pointing out that Kenya’s Constitution guarantees continuity of governance. Article 134, he said, ensures executive functions remain intact, while Parliament, the judiciary, county governments, and the civil service continue to operate.
He warned that tolerating “bad governments” entrenches corruption and emboldens cartels.
“A bad government institutionalises theft. It tells cronies, ‘Go ahead, steal more; no one will stop you.’ It creates a culture of impunity where abductors and killers in state uniforms can silence dissent without consequence,” Muturi stated.
The former National Assembly Speaker urged Kenyans to reject fear-based narratives and demand accountability from leaders, insisting that compromise should never come at the expense of entrenching corruption.
