The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) of Raila Odinga is caught between two political camps of individuals who have turned into court poets and another critical of the alleged excesses by President William Ruto’s administration.
Some of the ODM top officials have since joined President Ruto’s praise team, abandoning the party’s long-held position of fighting for social justice and democracy.
In July last year, President Ruto co-opted five ODM officials into his Cabinet, turning some of his erstwhile fierce critics to his top cheerleaders.
The President appointed Mr Opiyo Wandayi as Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum, Mr John Mbadi (National Treasury and Economic Planning CS), Mr Hassan Joho (Mining and Blue Economy CS), Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives and MSMEs CS) and Beatrice Askul (EAC and Asal CS).
National Assembly Minority leader Junet Mohamed recently appeared to support the spate of abductions of those perceived to be critical of the Kenya Kwanza administration.
His remarks, and those of other leaders, has threatened to split the party. The cheerleaders have been accused of abandoning ODM’s ideology of defending the country’s democratic space.
Political analysts reckon that the building tension risks splitting the party in the run-up to the 2027 General Election. They project that a win by Mr Odinga in the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship election scheduled for next month is likely to escalate the infighting.
Mr Odinga has, for more than 10 years, remained the unifying figure in ODM, and some politicians have often exploited his name to win elective seats.
Acting party leader Prof Anyang' Nyong'o, Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna and Siaya Governor James Orengo are some of the top leaders who have criticised the government’s dictatorial and oppressive politics.
They have warned fellow ODM members against turning into court poets and failing to tell the President the truth.
"I’m asking President Ruto to put a stop to police brutality against peaceful demonstrators and abduction of Kenyans who oppose the subversion of democracy by the Ruto government," he said.
“We are ready to lead a popular resistance to dictatorial and oppressive politics that tries to impose an oppressive and undemocratic regime on people through such things as abductions and Precambrian political threats,” he charged.
Prof Nyong’o said that ODM’s participation in the broad-based government should not be misconstrued to mean embracing “oppressive” policies.
“We know our future as a party. What we are sure of in this future is our mission as a national democratic and revolutionary party. By revolutionary we do not mean taking up arms and fighting for change. We mean being ready to lead a popular resistance to dictatorial and oppressive politics,” he said.
Mr Sifuna recently took on the President’s men for misleading him as Tiaty MP William Kamket suggested that they have powers to extend Dr Ruto’s term in office.
“It is obvious the President’s men know the gig is up and nothing can be done to change his fortunes in 2027. All that chest thumping from (Oscar) Sudi and Kamket are attempts to mask the fact that they have accepted his fate,” said Mr Sifuna.
ODM deputy party leader Godfrey Ososti, who is also the Vihiga senator, said that Prof Nyong’o’s statement condemning abductions is the official position of the party. He termed contrary views as personal opinions.
“The position of ODM is very clear, we are against the excesses by this government. That position has been expressed by our leader Raila Odinga in the presence of President Ruto. Our acting party leader has also issued a statement condemning abductions, as has Mr Sifuna and I,” said Mr Osotsi.
Governor Orengo told Dr Ruto’s loyalists there were people like them during the Kanu era, but whose stay in power ended tragically. He said that just like Kanu cheerleaders, those backing the current regime blindly would suffer the same fate.
“The insensitive, sadistic and callous court poetry that is extremely dangerous. These doomsday choirs cannot succeed where the gifted orchestras of the old Kanu failed,” said Mr Orengo.
Mr Mohamed recently blamed parents for not stopping their children from “abusing leaders”. Late last year in Voi in the company of the President, Mr Joho called for regulation of social media.
US-based university lecturer and political analyst Prof David Monda, noted that the power struggle in ODM is between idealists and pragmatists.
