The Ministry of Defence on Monday, March 17, issued a strong statement criticising Daily Nation for an article claiming former Prime Minister Raila Odinga prevented a military coup against President William Ruto.

In its statement, the Ministry dismissed the report published in Sunday Nation titled "Raila: I Saved Ruto from Military Coup", alongside another article in Taifa Jumapili titled "Nilivyozima Mapinduzi Dhidi ya Ruto", as misleading. "The Ministry of Defence notes with concern the inaccurate news article in yesterday's Sunday Nation," the statement read.

The articles in question cite an undisclosed source and suggest that Raila revealed in an exclusive interview that Kenya was on the verge of military rule were it not for his intervention.

ODM Party leader Raila Odinga during the MoU signing between him and President William Ruto, March 7, 2025 Photo Raila Odinga While labelling the claims as "false, baseless, unfounded, misleading, and reckless," the Ministry further emphasised that the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) remained a professional and apolitical institution "that upholds the highest standards of integrity, discipline, and service to the nation." "The KDF remains committed to its constitutional mandate and has no involvement in political affairs," the statement read in part.