Wanga said: "Kama walimu ndio wamesema 'two term,' then mbele iko sawa"
Her remarks come after teachers, who met President William Ruto at State House Nairobi, were reported to have chanted "two term" in support of the President's re-election bid. The meeting, which was attended by 10,000 teachers from all parts of the country, was called to discuss salaries, medical cover, housing, and other terms of employment.
Wanga, who has consistently defended ODM's decision to work with the government under the broad-based arrangement, said teachers are not ordinary supporters. Teachers, she implied, are respected in every village. They shape opinion. They shape children. They shape communities. If they have spoken, she said, it means something.
Supporters of Wanga say she was right. They say teachers are the backbone of Kenya. Every leader, every doctor, every lawyer, every engineer passed through a teacher. They say when teachers speak, Kenya listens.
They say teachers did not just chant "two term" for nothing. They say teachers have seen what the government has done for them. They say the current Collective Bargaining Agreement covers 2025-2029 and was signed in July 2025. The agreement introduced a basic salary increase spread over four years. The first phase was implemented last July. They say Ruto has also promised to review teachers' medical cover and to reserve 20 per cent of affordable housing units for teachers.
They say teachers want the CBA review period reduced from four years to two years. Ruto has accepted that request in principle and asked the Teachers Service Commission, the Ministry of Education, and teacher unions to deliberate on the appropriate period. Supporters say that is why teachers are happy.
They say Wanga was simply stating a political reality. If teachers, who are in every polling station, in every village, in every county, say "two term," then the opposition has a big problem. Teachers mobilise voters. Teachers talk to parents. Teachers are trusted.
They say Wanga, as ODM chair, is also sending a message to ODM members. ODM, she has said before, will support Ruto for president in 2027 while fighting to reclaim its own seats. Her latest remark, supporters say, fits that line.
Critics of Wanga say she is misreading the teachers. They say teachers at State House did not go there to endorse Ruto. They went there to demand better pay. They went there to demand better medical cover. They went there to demand better housing. Chanting "two term" at a State House event, they argue, does not mean all teachers in Kenya support Ruto.
They say many teachers are still struggling. They say salaries are still low. They say medical cover does not meet their needs. They say schools lack teachers. They say promotion is slow. They say a chant at State House cannot hide those problems.
They say Wanga is using teachers to push her own politics. They say she is trying to make Ruto's re-election look inevitable. They say that is not democracy. That is propaganda.
Opposition supporters say "two term" is not decided by teachers, or by Wanga, or by Ruto supporters. It is decided by voters on election day in 2027. They say Kenyans will decide based on the cost of living, jobs, healthcare, and corruption, not based on chants.
They say Wanga has abandoned ODM's opposition role. They say ODM was once the voice of the people. Now, they say, Wanga is the voice of the government. They say she defends every government move, even when Kenyans are suffering.
Political analysts say Wanga's statement is strategic. They say teachers are a powerful voting bloc. There are hundreds of thousands of teachers in Kenya. Each teacher influences a family, a school, and a community. Winning teachers, analysts say, is winning a big part of the election.
They say Wanga knows this. By quoting teachers, she is trying to give Ruto's "two term" campaign legitimacy. She is saying it is not politicians saying it. It is teachers. It is ordinary Kenyans.
But analysts also say the "two term" vs "wantam" debate is still open. They say Ruto's supporters say "tutam" – two terms. Opposition supporters say "wantam" – one term. Both sides are campaigning hard. Both sides claim the people are with them.
They say teachers, like all Kenyans, are divided. Some teachers support Ruto. Some support the opposition. Some are undecided. One meeting at State House cannot speak for all teachers, they argue.
Kenyans online are divided. Some say Wanga is right. They say teachers are respected. If teachers say "two term," then "mbele iko sawa." They say Ruto will win easily.
Others say Wanga is wrong. They say teachers were hosted at State House. They say you cannot chant "wantam" at State House and go home safely. They say the chant was stage-managed.
For now, Wanga has made her position clear. She believes if teachers have said "two term," then the road ahead is fine.
One thing is clear. Gladys Wanga has added her voice to the "two term" debate. Whether teachers truly speak for all Kenyans will be decided at the ballot in 2027.
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