Escalating factional rivalries cast shadow over ODM's future

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is at a crossroads with concerns over whether the party will survive with two factions emerging following the demise of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who held it together with a firm grip for 20 years.

Members of the Odinga family, including the ODM leader Oburu Oginga, Deputy Organising Secretary Ruth Odinga and East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Winnie Odinga, are receiving a bashing from either the ODM Linda Ground or Linda Mwananchi factions over their positions on various issues.

The criticism that Oburu, Ruth and Winnie are getting from close allies of the late Raila was unimaginable when he was alive, with concerns on whether the once formidable opposition party will survive the onslaught it’s facing as the country gears up to the 2027 General Election.

Oburu, who took over the party head position held by his brother — Raila — has faced the wrath of Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Siaya Governor James Orengo, who have questioned his ability to lead the party, with Orengo declaring himself as the acting party leader.

“I am the acting party leader of ODM because Oburu is playing with his work. I have taken up that responsibility because if he cannot do his work, I will do it to ensure the party remains focused and functional. We cannot afford any gaps in leadership,” said Orengo in Vihiga.

The current rivalry between Orengo and Oburu rekindles the Raila-Orengo rivalry in the 1990s, as they battled to take over the mantle of the Luo community leadership after the demise of former Vice President Oginga Odinga, who was the Ford Kenya party leader.

Oburu leads the Linda Ground team, including Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir (deputy party leader), Kisii Governor Simba Arati (also deputy party leader), Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga (chairperson) and Busia County MP Catherine Omanyo (acting secretary general).

Orengo leads the Linda Mwananchi team, which includes Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka and Suba South MP Caroli Omondi, among other key leaders, against the broad-based arrangement.

The Orengo team has been moving around the country, where they have managed to attract crowds since their inaugural meeting in Nairobi, moving to Kajiado, Kakamega, Nakuru, Mombasa, Vihiga and Kisumu Counties as they seek to cover the entire country.

“I refuse to be secretary general of mediocrity, I refuse to be the secretary general of Oburu, these characters do not deserve me, let them ask for a proper National Delegates Conference where in our line-up we shall present candidates for all party positions. Sifuna was not born to be secretary general of ODM forever,” said Sifuna.

National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has declared that he cannot allow Winnie to drag him into what he described as juvenile politics, claiming that she was inexperienced and could not advise him and that she did not have the moral authority to advise him on how to conduct himself.

Winnie had accused Mbadi of running the National Treasury as a political office and using it as a platform to attack other people, stating that the office's responsibility is to look for the resources and to ensure that they are well distributed to various sectors of the economy.

“The National Treasury is not a political office, it is not a personal office, it is not a platform to talk to us the way you want, the work of that office is to look after the resources of the country, as public servants, we need to listen,” said Winnie. 

Mbadi accused Winnie of starting a war that she cannot win, dismissing her claims and stating that the EALA MP had never been elected to a political post, hence she lacked moral authority to wage war with seasoned political leaders like him, who have served the country in various capacities. 

He said that he had achieved a lot as a Member of Parliament, Assistant Minister, Minority Leader, ODM Chairman for 10 years and now a Cabinet Secretary, terming them as great strides, asking Winnie to first vie for an elective seat, get elected, then be nurtured politically.

“I repeat that if we want to respect Raila’s legacy, we must keep ODM strong and united. This cannot be achieved if some people continue to behave the way they do. Hence, I must admonish them, Oburu and the entire ODM leadership must be respected,” said Mbadi.

Mbadi asked Ruth to respect party officials who include her elder brother Oburu, Arati, Nassir and Wanga, among others, if at all she honoured the legacy of Raila, whom these leaders supported for more than 20 years.

Mbadi, in a radical position, suggested that the party must chart a new path following the death of the ODM founder in utterances that appeared to irk Raila’s family after he stated that they can no longer continue being told Raila said this or that since he was not there to confirm or deny.

“We must manage the transition, Baba is no more, this is post-Raila era now, you cannot keep telling us Baba said this, Baba said that, where is that Baba now to tell us what he meant? It has been six months now since he left us,” said Mbadi.

Ruth has dismissed the emerging “one term” and “two terms” camps within ODM, instead positioning herself firmly in what she described as the ideological path of her late brother, Raila Odinga, calling for dialogue within the party that has been in the opposition since its inception.

The Kisumu County MP has called for unity between allied formations within the party, including Linda Ground and Linda Mwananchi movements, saying fragmentation would ultimately hurt their political prospects and work to the benefit of their rivals.

“We have been told not to say one term or two terms, but I want to make it clear that for me, I am not in either one term or two terms, I am in what we call Term Raila Odinga. I am urging ODM party leaders and members to rise above party factions,” said Ruth.

According to Political Analyst Dismus Mokua, ODM is suffering from both an identity and ideological crisis, and the party is at a crossroads after the death of Raila, who was the glue holding the party together because he had the capacity to dispense pleasure and inflict pain.

Mokua said that the ODM rank and file must create time to recalibrate and rethink so that the party remains fit for purpose and that failure to engage in strategic thinking will see a rapid decline in ODM membership, parliamentary strength and political influence.

“Several Raila’s siblings and relatives are suffering from the political founders’ syndrome with their individual and collective emotional attachment and insatiable desire to control the party, being a recipe for compromised growth and development,” said Mokua.

He said that Raila’s siblings in the political space are required to create an enabling environment for the party rank and file to unleash individual and collective talent if ODM is to remain relevant and retain the capacity to influence policy and electoral outcomes.

Mokua said that while Raila’s siblings and relatives are ranking members of ODM, they must appreciate the fact that ODM is a taxpayer-funded political party and all Kenyans have insurable interests in the party and they should allow divergent opinions if the party is to survive.

⁠ “National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi hit all the high notes when he asked ODM rank and file to re-align post Raila, Mbadi spoke for the silent majority who, for anthropological reasons, fear calling a spade a spade,” said Mokua.