"ODM has never fought for the rights of Kenyans. Its only fight has been to join governments, and once it joins suddenly the Govt becomes angel," Nyutu said, taking aim at the party's long history of entering coalition arrangements with sitting administrations.
The UDA senator's remarks come against the backdrop of ODM's controversial entry into Ruto's government following the handshake with party leader Raila Odinga, a move that has divided opinion both within ODM ranks and across the broader opposition.
Nyutu has previously been vocal on this front, having argued during a heated television exchange with Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda that President Ruto brought Raila on board specifically to neutralise public protests against his administration.
"The president, in his frustration and anger, does not even know what to do. The reason as to why he is annoyed is because he thought that he could continue violating human rights now that he had Raila Odinga in his box," Nyutu had said at the time, adding that "for a very long time, Raila owned protests and demos; so, the president thought that once he brought Raila onboard in his broad-based government, then Kenyans would never ever again be able to demonstrate against violations of human rights."
That earlier clash saw Ojienda push back sharply, urging Nyutu to "desist from mentioning Raila Odinga in this context," arguing that the ODM leader was neither part of the demonstrations nor bore the constitutional responsibilities tied to national security matters.
Nyutu's latest broadside is likely to deepen tensions between UDA-aligned figures and ODM members who have found themselves on the defensive over the party's cooperation with the government.
With Kenya's political landscape shifting ahead of 2027, such exchanges signal that the debate over who truly represents "the rights of Kenyans" is far from settled — and likely to intensify as election season draws closer.
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