'Raila Must Go' Chants Cut Short Raila Odinga's Address At Gusii Stadium [VIDEO]

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Sunday, March 9, encountered a hostile reception at the Gusii Stadium in Kisii County as the aftermath of his signing of a political cooperation agreement with President William Ruto served to further dent his famous political image.

Raila had arrived at the stadium for the launch of the official kit of Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League side, Shabana FC, after the Kisii-based side signed a Ksh75 million sponsorship deal with a leading gaming platform in Kenya.

In photos and videos seen by Viral Tea, fans at their stadium voiced their thoughts on the political pact with a mixture of 'Ruto must go' and 'Raila must go' chants ringing across the sporting grounds.

Raila even struggled to get the fans to listen to his address as scores of them waved him off and others walked out of the stadium in a show of disinterest in his speech.

Kenyans at Gusii Stadium in Kisii County chant 'Raila must go' moments after Raila Odinga arrived for the highly anticipated Shabana FC jersey launch#ViralVideos pic.twitter.com/tjpp5xCr4t — Viral Tea Ke (@ViralTeaKe) March 9, 2025

Chaotic scenes even erupted at the stadium as plastic chairs flew all over the stadium where Raila was welcomed by Kisii Governor Simba Arati. He was in the company of Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, his Migori counterpart Ochilo Ayako and former Gen Z activist turned politician Kasmuel McOure.

Why Gusii Residents Have Turned Against Raila

Raila has historically held strong backing in Kisii, but the incident signaled a shift in the region's political landscape. Earlier, on March 6, the former prime minister dismissed the viability of former Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i’s anticipated 2027 presidential bid.

While conducting consultative meetings in Kisii County, Raila emphasized that regional voting blocs alone were insufficient to secure the presidency. Additionally, he stated that Matiang’i faced an uphill battle and could not win the election solely based on support from his ethnic community.

“There’s nothing like a community producing a candidate. Someone running for the presidency of Kenya cannot be elected based on Kisii votes, Luo votes, Luhya votes, or even Mount Kenya votes. If you want to be elected, you will be elected by Kenyans generally,” Raila stated.

On Friday, March 7, both Ruto and Raila signed a 10-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening national unity and addressing governance issues. Key commitments include the full implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report, ensuring inclusivity in budget allocations and public appointments, and protecting the principles of devolution.

The MoU also emphasizes economic investments benefiting the youth, promoting leadership integrity, and discouraging extravagant lifestyles among public officials.

“Kenyans are concerned by the expression of opulence accompanied by rude and arrogant conduct of public officers. And the impunity that has followed the same. It must be enforced that the demeanor of public servants needs to reflect the dignity of their offices. We must also urgently provide a legal framework for addressing conflict of interest among public servants,” the memorandum stated.

Additionally, the agreement calls for safeguarding citizens' rights to peaceful assembly, compensating victims of rights violations, and conducting a comprehensive audit of national debt usage.

Other provisions focus on tackling corruption, eliminating wasteful spending of public resources, and upholding the sovereignty of the people by preventing abductions. It further underscores a commitment to constitutionalism, the rule of law, and press freedom.

“The MoU we have signed today does not define the formation of a political coalition between ODM and UDA,” Raila made it absolutely clear, adding, “However, its successful implementation could form the basis for steps towards establishing a broadly constructive formation for a stable country in the future.”

President William Ruto and Raila Odinga sign partnership through the Kenya Kwanza - ODM Framework Agreement on March 7, 2025. /PCS