Former Attorney General and Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi has strongly criticized ODM leader Raila Odinga over his recent defence of a political pact with President William Ruto.
Muturi described Raila’s remarks as “reckless and dangerous,” accusing the opposition chief of legitimizing impunity and misleading Kenyans into tolerating corruption under the guise of political stability.
On Monday, Raila told ODM legislators that “it is better to have a bad government than none at all,” arguing that his compromise with Ruto was necessary to prevent Kenya from sliding into chaos after the 2024 Gen Z-led protests.
But Muturi, in a statement on Tuesday, dismissed the comments, likening them to telling a family whose burning house was collapsing around them to be grateful they still had a roof.
“Bad governments are not harmless placeholders. They are predatory machines that loot, repress, and suffocate hope for a better future,” he said.
The former Speaker of the National Assembly insisted that Kenya’s democratic institutions guarantee continuity even if a regime is delegitimized. Citing Article 134 of the Constitution, Muturi said executive functions, Parliament, county governments, the judiciary, and the civil service remain functional regardless of political turbulence.
He pointed to Nepal as an example where civic movements seized political crises to demand accountability and birth new democratic orders.
Muturi further warned that accepting “bad governments” emboldens cartels and erodes accountability.
“A bad government tells its cronies, ‘Go ahead, steal more; no one will stop you.’ It institutionalizes impunity and emboldens those who siphon public money meant for hospitals, schools, and roads,” he said.
He urged citizens to reject fear-based narratives and hold leaders accountable, stressing that compromise should not come at the cost of entrenching corruption and repression.
