ODM divided over its pact with UDA following Ojwang's death

The killing of teacher Albert Ojwang barely a month after the murder of Kasipul MP Charles Ong'ondo, is once again threatening the political pact between President William Ruto and ODM Leader Raila Odinga.

The Standard has established that the death, which exposes the government's excesses, has unsettled ODM, with some members allegedly pushing for the party to reconsider its relationship with the government.

Ojwang's death has also put the March Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ODM and UDA that promised to end extrajudicial killings and abductions on shaky ground, as some ODM leaders are calling for the end of the pact.

On Monday, ODM chairperson Governor Gladys Wanga said the party will continue pursuing justice for Ojwang while inside the government and told off those who believe that justice should be pursued through street protests.

She was speaking in Kakoth village in Homa Bay when she went to visit the family of Ojwang to condole with them.

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On Sunday, Wanga, who led a section of party members to a fundraising event at the Voice of Salvation and Healing Ministry Church in Kisumu, expressed his disappointment with the death, stating that it was unexpected, especially after the pact between the ruling party and the opposition-led party.

"As the ODM party, we signed an agreement with UDA, and today, as we speak, there will be no going back from the broad-based agreement. We are in it, and within it, we will demand justice, we will demand an end to extrajudicial killings while in the broad-based arrangement."

Wanga said the death of Ojwang was a bad thing, especially after the Nyanza region had a successful 62nd Madaraka Day celebration.

Kisumu County Woman Representative Ruth Odinga challenged the government to come out clearly and tell the Country what happened.

Ms Odinga questioned why the president is unable to end the extrajudicial killings in the country despite the powers bestowed on his office by the constitution.

"Mr President, you are the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in Kenya. Ask your people in the security department to make sure that we get to the bottom of the killings that are happening in Kenya. We have an MOU with you, and as ODM party, one of the things we're talking about is that we don't want extrajudicial killings." Ms Odinga posed.

Kisumu West Member of Parliament Rosa Buyu asked congregants whether they wanted ODM to demand justice for Ojwang's death while within the broad-based arrangement or outside.

Her question received mixed reactions with a section of the congregation saying that ODM should remain under the broad-based arrangement, while others wanted the party to bolt out of the arrangement.

However, ODM Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi said the arrest of police constable James Mukhwana was just a cover-up, and yet Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat was the prime suspect.

"They are arresting junior officers, they have nabbed Mukhwana, our son, as a scared cow and yet those who gave out orders are still in office. We are calling for the resignation of Mr. Lagat and, if possible, his sacking because we want justice for the young man," said Osotsi.

Osotsi said that the ten-point agenda between ODM and UDA did entail extrajudicial killings and abductions.

"Abductions and extra judicial killings were not part our pact with the ruling party and with this death case of Ojwang already the pact has been violated by the ruling party and as ODM our stand is very clear that we are against things that are happening and we will demand justice for the slain teacher," said Osostsi.

However, ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, while at a funeral in Emuhuya, Vihiga County, said the pact between ODM and UDA became null and void the moment Ojwang was killed in police custody.

"As the party, we entered into an agreement with UDA and abductions and extrajudicial killings were not part of the pact, and the death of Ojwang is a betrayal, going against the core values," said Sifuna.

He added, "The death of Ojwang for me marks the end of the MoU, there should be nothing like the pact because the same pact was to end extra judicial killings and not to advance."

Another death that has tested the existence of the ODM and UDA pact is the murder of MP Ong'ondo, who was shot by unknown assailants in Nairobi and died on April 30, 2025.

Governor Wanga threatened that the party would move out of the broad-based government if the killers of the lawmaker were not brought to book, stating that the pact was not about the killing of innocent Kenyans.

“We must be told who killed Ong’ondo and why. We agreed to work together, but we did not sign up for the assassination of our members. As the national chairperson of the ODM party," said Wanga.

Report by Clinton Ambujo, Rodgers Otiso and Benard Lusigi