By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 3 January 2025 - The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) finds itself at a familiar but critical juncture, caught between unity talks and dissent, pragmatism and principle, continuity and reforms push for change.
At the apex of this moment is senior ODM party leader Dr. Oburu Oginga Odinga, whose recent remarks have sought to steady the ship even as internal disagreements play out loudly in the public arena.
Dr Oburu has been unequivocal about his current standing in the party.
“By virtue of my current position, I am the automatic presidential candidate of ODM at the moment,”he said, framing his role as a practical necessity rather than a final coronation.
His argument is strategic that ODM must approach negotiations with other parties and presidential hopefuls as an equal partner, not as a party in limbo.
Yet he has been careful to emphasize that ODM’s democratic DNA remains intact.
“If there are members who feel they want to contest, the party laws do not bar them,” he noted, stressing that the National Elections Board (NEB) and the National Delegates Convention (NDC) retain ultimate authority.
In 2007, ODM leaders by then led by Raila Odinga, Musalia Mudavadi, William Ruto, Najib Balala, and the late Joseph Nyagah, vied for ODM party nominations.
At the end of it, Raila won the nominations through NDC approval. The rest, lost and united again to back his bid.
Beyond personal positioning, Dr. Oburu’s more urgent message has been a plea for ODM members unity.
He has openly cautioned against internal bickering, warning that public disagreements risk weakening ODM’s negotiating power and confusing its support base.
In his words, “We must not tear ourselves apart in public. ODM has mechanisms to resolve internal issues, and we must trust them. I am ready to do my best as your servant to make sure that we hold together as a family, which is the basic unit of socialisation.”
That appeal, however, comes amid sharp divisions over ODM’s working relationship with the government under the BBG arrangement.
ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, Siaya Governor James Orengo, and Vihiga Senator Geoffrey Osotsi have emerged as the most vocal critics.
Their discomfort is not merely political, but ideological and procedural.
Orengo has argued that “ODM cannot drift into government arrangements without a clear legal and political framework approved by party organs,” warning that such engagements risk diluting the party’s opposition identity.
Sifuna and Orengo, too, have echoed this sentiment, insisting that ODM must be guided by rules rather than convenience.
“We are not against dialogue,” Orengo has said, “but it must be structured, lawful, and sanctioned by the party.
" Otherwise, we risk abandoning the very principles that built ODM," he claimed.
More from Kenya
Osotsi and Orengo for his part, has questioned the sustainability of BBG-style cooperation, arguing that unclear arrangements leave the party vulnerable ahead of the 2027 General Election.
On the opposite flank stands Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, who has shown little patience for what he views as internal grandstanding.
Junet has accused the dissenting voices of undermining collective leadership and destabilizing the party from within.
“You cannot claim to love ODM and at the same time wreck it from inside,” he remarked, adding that public criticism weakens the party’s hand in both government engagement and coalition talks.
On the 2027 question, Junet has been particularly blunt.
“ODM’s position on 2027 will be decided by its top organs and the NDC, not through press statements or personal opinions,” he said, dismissing early declarations or proposals to work with some opposition parties as premature.
He maintains that the current BBG arrangement, controversial as it may be, remains in force and should be respected until the party formally decides otherwise.
The standoff exposes a deeper ideological tension within ODM, whether engagement with the government is a tactical necessity in a fluid political environment, or a slippery slope that risks eroding the party’s opposition credentials. It is a debate that ODM has confronted before.
In 2007, despite former prime minister Raila Odinga’s dominance, the party subjected all aspirants to a competitive flag-bearer contest, reinforcing its reputation as a movement guided by process rather than personality.
Dr Oburu appears keenly aware of this history as he rallies ODM supporters and members to humbly back his bid and remain united aiming at the highest good.
He avers that no opposition party is formed to stay in opposition. No.
The ultimate aim is to capture power and this tops Oburu's priority even in fresh negotiations with UDA and ODM and any other party that shares same ideals.
Even as he projects confidence and authority, Dr Oburu has struck an optimistic tone, insisting that ODM is not in crisis.
He downplayed claims as he ushered in the new year 2026, arguing that the party is spiraling, arguing instead that “nothing has gone haywire; these are issues that can and will be resolved amicably.”
His optimism rests on the party’s decision to convene a National Delegates Convention by June, which he says will conclusively address the BBG question, internal discipline, and the roadmap to 2027.
ODM’s current moment is less about fragmentation and more about a struggle to define its future posture. Whether the party can reconcile its internal critics with its pragmatic wing will determine not only its unity, but its credibility.
As Dr Oburu insists, all shall be well—but only if ODM allows its institutions, rather than its tempers, to lead the way.
