Video Resurfaces Exposing How Ruto’s Spy in ODM Was Badly Beaten by Members During a Public Event

A resurfaced video from the early years of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has reopened old wounds within Kenya’s opposition politics, reviving debate about infiltration, internal sabotage, and the shifting loyalties of key party figures.

The footage, which has been widely circulated online, shows a chaotic public event during which Magerer Lang’at—then ODM Secretary General—was violently confronted and whisked away by security as party members shouted accusations and demanded his removal.

The clip offers three critical insights into ODM’s internal struggles at the time. First, Raila Odinga, popularly known as Baba, appears in the footage initially assuming that nothing serious was happening to Lang’at, even as men dressed in black reportedly subjected him to a brutal beating. 

This moment has since been interpreted by commentators as reflective of the confusion and mistrust that clouded the party’s leadership during a period of intense political contestation.

Second, the incident underscores long-standing claims that ODM’s divisions were not purely organic. 

According to critics, Raila was already aware that Lang’at was allegedly being used by then Agriculture Minister William Ruto to sow discord within the party.

At the time, ODM was grappling with internal rifts that weakened its cohesion ahead of crucial political battles. 

The idea that external actors could exploit senior party officials to fracture ODM has remained a persistent theme in opposition narratives.

Third, voices captured in the video—believed to be those of ODM MPs—are heard saying “peleka yeye kwa Ruto” (“take him to Ruto”) as Lang’at is escorted away from the melee.

To many observers, this moment symbolised the depth of suspicion within the party, with Lang’at no longer viewed as a neutral administrator but as an operative aligned with rival interests.

The resurfacing of the video has gained renewed relevance in light of current political realignments. Critics point to what they see as a striking contrast between past resistance to perceived infiltration and present-day pragmatism.

Today, ODM leaders such as Junet Mohamed and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga are viewed by some within the party as favouring engagement and accommodation with President Ruto’s administration, arguing that cooperation may deliver development and stability.