By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 18 April 2026 - ODM party leader Dr Oburu Oginga Odinga did not mince his words on Friday night in Kisumu, telling off those demanding the sacking of Luo officials working for the state that they must shut up and stop the sabotage, immediately.
No hedging, no diplomacy, just a stinging rebuke aimed at what he sees as reckless political self-harm.
Speaking with visible irritation, the veteran politician in the Orange Democratic Movement trained his fire on a swelling chorus of critics who have sought to pin national controversies on officials from the community.
In particular, he defended Opiyo Wandayi, the Energy Cabinet Secretary whose ministry has been engulfed in an oil-sector storm, and Dr Raymond Omollo, the Interior Principal Secretary thrust into the spotlight following the recent attack on Vihiga Senator Dr Geoffrey Osotsi in Kisumu.
To Oburu, the accusations are neither measured nor fair; they are, instead, an exercise in guilt by association, where individuals are pilloried merely because crises have unfolded within their dockets.
“There is no anecdotal evidence,” he insisted, his tone firm and unyielding, warning against what he termed the dangerous habit of blanket condemnation. It was not merely a defence of two embattled officials; it was a broader rebuke of a political culture he believes is veering towards self-harm.
For Oburu, the stakes extend beyond reputations to the very coherence of the community’s political voice.
The setting lent the moment an added layer of symbolism. At a fundraiser for the Nyanza Club in Kisumu—an event buoyed by a KSh 5 million contribution from President William Ruto and a further KSh 2 million from Oburu himself—the talk of a KSh 150 million facelift became an apt metaphor for renewal. They raised over KSh 10 million.
Yet while the bricks and mortar of the club took centre stage, it was the architecture of political strategy that Oburu appeared most intent on reconstructing.
With a flash of indignation, he posed a question that hung heavily in the air: what possible gain lies in publicly undermining one’s own?
If the campaign of negative rhetoric were to succeed, he asked, what dividend would it yield for Nyanza?
The implication was stark—internal discord risks eroding the very leverage the region seeks to build at the national level.
In a notable shift that underscores evolving political realities, Oburu signalled a pragmatic openness towards engagement with the ruling United Democratic Alliance. He dismissed as “black propaganda” claims that talks between ODM and UDA had collapsed, arguing that such narratives are manufactured by detractors keen to derail a nascent process. His rhetorical question was pointed: how can negotiations collapse before they have even begun?
Beneath the surface, his remarks suggested that quiet manoeuvres towards a possible power-sharing arrangement ahead of the 2027 General Election may already be taking shape.
More from Kenya
For a movement long defined by its adversarial stance, this posture marks a delicate recalibration. Oburu’s insistence that ODM supporters remain “steadfast and loyal” to President Ruto is likely to stir unease among traditionalists. Yet it also reflects a clear-eyed assessment of political arithmetic. “Power,” he declared with deliberate emphasis, “is what will light our path to success—and that power now rests with President Ruto.” It was both an acknowledgment of present realities and a strategic cue for the future.
Surrounded by an array of regional leaders, legislators, and senior bureaucrats, Oburu’s intervention carried the weight of collective signalling.
Present were Busia Governor Dr Paul Otuoma, Kisumu County Deputy Governor Dr Mathews Owili, Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor, Kisumu Central MP Dr Joshua Oron, Health PS Dr Ouma Oluga, PS Gender and children affairs Caroline Agengo, KSB chair Nicholas Gumbo, Kisumu County assembly speaker Elisha oraro and a host of MCAs.
Some of them were Seth Kanga, Lumumba Owade and Emily Anyango who supported Dr Oburu alongside the MPs.
Oburu urged Nyanza’s political class to abandon what he derided as “doom-mongering” and to embrace a more constructive, development-oriented agenda.
The region, he suggested, stands at a crossroads: it can either dissipate its energies in internal quarrels or consolidate them in pursuit of influence and growth.
His evocative imagery—of a journey to a promised “Canaan through Singapore”—captured both ambition and intent. It spoke of transformation, of aspiration, and of a belief that political alignment, however controversial, may yet unlock new pathways to prosperity.
Whether this thunderous rebuke will quell dissent or deepen latent fissures remains an open question. What is beyond dispute, however, is that Oburu has reasserted himself as a commanding voice within ODM’s shifting calculus—unyielding in defence, unapologetic in tone, and unmistakably focused on steering his community towards what he regards as the highest good.
Oburu Oginga Unleashes Fury on Critics of State Officials from Nyanza
ODM Party Leader erupts: ‘Shut up and stop the sabotage’