Kipchumba 

Raymond Omollo is arguably William Ruto’s most influential political point man in Luo Nyanza. This didn't start with the Broadbased arrangement. Even before that political marriage, Ruto had already made considerable inroads into a region that ODM traditionally considered its political bedroom. At some point, UDA was gaining momentum in Nyanza courtesy of Raymond, something that clearly unsettled sections of ODM, who suddenly started calling for zoning. Now with Raila Odinga gone, the demands have evolved. Some ODM leaders are practically asking for half of the govt in exchange for supporting Ruto. Politics is indeed an interesting business, yesterday you were defending your political territory, today you're negotiating the price of your loyalty. The interesting bit is that Raymond Omollo remains one of the few credible voices Ruto can rely on in Luo Nyanza. His political relevance in the region arguably outweighs that of several other Broadbased leaders combined. Yet some of these leaders are demanding a pre-election political agreement as though they are bringing the entire region to the negotiating table. ODM died with Raila, they're now under the mercy of Ruto's pockets. There is also the matter of who has been facilitating these political rallies and events. If Ruto's financial backing are anything to go by, ODM need to reconsider the nature of the blackmail they're attempting. You cannot spend the whole evening eating & supplying high voltage electricity to yellow yellow damsels at Ruto's expense, then demand shares from the same man. Ruto understands political arithmetic, and Raymond's value in Nyanza is not something that can simply be negotiated away. The bigger question is whether some of these leaders understand the political ground they are standing on, or whether they have mistaken access to State House for ownership of the votes. Ruto is very lethal, ODM thinking they can blackmail his is utmost ridiculous. I don't think ODM fully understand the man they're attempting to pressure into signing a pre-election political agreement. Raila Odinga is gone, and the day Sifuna walked away with Linda Mwananchi was the day a significant part of their political relevance began to shift. Some people are still negotiating as though the old political arrangements remain intact. Unfortunately, the political ground has moved, whether they have noticed or not. Hii siasa ya 2027 ikona mambo mingi sana, and many in ODM will be left seeing with their mouth wide open. Chesaa!!