Narok Senator Ledama Olekina has admitted that he never voted for President William Ruto and previously disliked him but has since changed his position, citing development in his county.
Speaking in the presence of the President in Narok on Sunday, November 15, Olekina said Ruto had proved him wrong through his leadership and development projects.
“Let us speak the truth before God. I never voted for him. I did not even like him. But in a full confession, he has proved me wrong,” Olekina said.
The senator said he had witnessed changes in Narok, particularly in infrastructure, following his decision to work with the Kenya Kwanza administration.
He pointed to improved roads and other development projects, arguing that political leaders should focus on delivering services to their constituents rather than remaining in opposition.
Olekina’s change of position follows the cooperation agreement between the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and President Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
In an interview on Citizen TV’s Sunday Live on November 8, the senator revealed that the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga played a major role in convincing him to work with Ruto.
He said Raila visited his home before the agreement was signed and asked him to mobilise about 300 members of the Maasai community from Narok, Kajiado and Nakuru for consultations.
According to Olekina, Raila explained that he wanted to work with Ruto to bring the country together and promote development.
The senator said those consulted agreed to support the arrangement after listening to Raila’s proposal.
He also cited the construction of tarmac roads in Leshota, extending towards the Kenya-Tanzania border, as one of the benefits of working with the national government.
“I stopped the politics of noise-making, and I delved into the politics of delivery,” Olekina told Citizen TV.
The Narok senator has increasingly defended the broad-based arrangement, arguing that remaining in opposition for political reasons could deny his constituents access to development opportunities.
On Friday, November 13, he also declared that he would no longer keep his community outside government in pursuit of permanent opposition politics.
“Before he died, he handed me over to Ruto. I accepted,” Olekina said in a statement, referring to Raila.
His remarks come as ODM and UDA continue engagements over their political cooperation ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The senator has maintained that ODM should remain an equal partner in the arrangement as the two parties work towards a shared political agenda.
