Woman Rep. Ruth Odinga has ruled out seeking a direct ODM Party ticket as she prepares to contest for the Kisumu governor seat in the 2027 General Election.

Ruth, who is the sister of the late former ODM leader Raila Odinga, said she would instead participate in the party’s nomination process and compete against other aspirants for the ticket.

In a statement shared on her Facebook page, Ruth said she has consistently opposed the practice of giving politicians direct party tickets regardless of their popularity on the ground.

“For the record, as a politician, I have been against ‘kubebwa mkono juu’, which, in other words, means being given a direct ODM party ticket regardless of your popularity on the ground,” she said.

Ruth said her decision was particularly important given her plans to succeed Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o as Kisumu’s third governor and the political expectations surrounding her family name.

“With my ambition to succeed Governor Nyongo in the 2027 general election as the third Kisumu Governor, and the obvious assumptions about my surname and my candidature, I thought it necessary to share with Kenyans, and particularly the people of Kisumu, that I will face all competitors at the ODM party primaries,” she stated.

The Kisumu woman rep insisted that she had never sought preferential treatment from ODM, including when her brother Raila was alive.

“I never asked for a direct party ticket when Baba was alive, and not now as well,” Ruth said.

Instead, she called for an open nomination process in which aspirants compete on equal terms.

“All I ask for is a level playing field so that the best carries the day,” she added.

Ruth’s declaration sets the stage for what could be a competitive ODM nomination contest in Kisumu ahead of the 2027 elections.

She also pointed to her experience in previous party nominations, particularly the 2022 Woman Representative contest, as evidence of her preference for competitive politics over direct nominations.