For the last four successive general elections, the Western region backed the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) overwhelmingly.
Outside Luo Nyanza, the region has been one of the party’s traditional bastions, securing it a majority of MPs, governors and Members of County Assembly (MCAs).
In the 2022 polls, ODM won Kakamega, Busia and Vihiga governor positions. It, however, lost Bungoma and Trans Nzoia, which were bagged by Ford-Kenya of National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K), respectively.
In Kakamega County alone, ODM won eight out of the 12 parliamentary seats.
In the presidential vote, Mr Odinga secured 71 per cent of the votes cast in Kakamega County, 81.7 per cent in Busia and 62 per cent in Vihiga. He, however, lost Bungoma to President William Ruto, who secured 63 per cent against his 35 per cent support.
This trend has played out since the 2007 General Election, when big political players from the region were top party officials. They included the current Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi , who served as ODM deputy party leader from 2005 until 2012.
Others are former Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba, who served as the party’s Secretary General before quitting the party in 2016.
Edwin Sifuna during the Linda Mwananchi Rally in Shamakhokho, Hamisi Sub-County, Vihiga County, on April 25, 2026.
Photo credit: Alex Odhiambo | Nation
Despite some of the major defections, ODM continued to enjoy significant backing with other leaders like Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna taking up the critical secretary-general position.
Cooperative Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya also served as ODM co-deputy party leader. He was replaced in 2024 by Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, when he joined Dr Ruto’s Cabinet.
ODM’s National Executive Council (NEC) resolved to fire Mr Sifuna and proceeded to replace him with Busia Woman Rep Catherine Omanyo . The decision was, however, halted by the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal (PPDT), pending the internal dispute resolution mechanism.
The happenings at the party have since triggered protests by some of the leaders, who have threatened to quit the outfit. Mr Sifuna and Mr Osotsi have since become the ring leaders of the Linda Mwananchi, a breakaway ODM faction.
Mr Oparanya recently indicated his plan to lead the region out of the party over alleged disrespect.
Mr Oparanya is among opposition figures who joined the broad-based government following the political working arrangement between the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and ODM after the nationwide protests against the 2024 Finance Bill.
Speaking in Kakamega on Saturday, a visibly agitated Oparanya warned that the Western region could reconsider its loyalty to ODM if its interests are not addressed.
“We have supported Raila Odinga with one heart, and that should not be taken for granted. We must now assess what the people of Western Kenya stand to gain from ODM. If that does not happen, then we will have no option but to say goodbye,” he said.
The CS maintained that his long-standing support for Mr Odinga in successive elections should not be overlooked in the party’s ongoing realignments.
ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna address a Linda Mwananchi politcal rally at Mazembe Grounds in Nakuru City on April 19, 2026.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group
“It is now our time as Western leaders. We cannot be sidelined while others jostle for power following Raila’s exit from active leadership. We, too, want a share of that power,” he added.
His comments appeared to target the “Linda Ground” faction led by Oburu Oginga, which is locked in a fierce battle for supremacy with the “Linda Mwananchi” camp associated with Mr Sifuna.
Mr Oparanya has long been the face of ODM politics in Western Kenya, rising through the ranks from Butere MP to serving two terms as Kakamega Governor. Between 2002 and 2007, he served as Butere MP under the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), then aligned with FORD–Kenya, a party previously led by the late Vice President Michael Wamalwa.
His latest outburst has exposed deeper rifts within ODM as rival factions continue to battle for control of the party’s future.
Mr Osotsi said the party can only go back to its past glory by allowing members to elect their national officials through a competitive process.
He cited the Western region as one of ODM's traditional bastions that could shift away under the current leadership.
“ODM has taken the people of Western for granted. You know the decision to remove Sifuna as the SG was not consultative. The region was not engaged in making the decision. Even my purported removal.”
The development, he said, has since seen ODM popularity dip in Kakamega, Busia and Vihiga counties.
“I don't think that dipping is reversible, because as ODM suffers in Western, the people who are positioning themselves to gain from ODM's collapse in the region are the very UDA coalition partners.”
According to Funyula MP Oundo Mudenyo, Western is still reorganising itself, and it is currently difficult to say with which political wing it will align.
“Whoever comes with the best agenda and honesty and has good principles of governance will get the most Luhya votes post-Raila. However, as of now, none of the political wings can marshal the support Raila had,” said Mr Oundo, one of the Linda Mwananchi camp.
The youthful MP, however, says the influence of experienced politicians like Mr Wetangúla, Mr Mudavadi and COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli is waning, thus they can’t offer any political direction to the region.
“Raila understood the Western region, aligned with them, fought for them and was always around whenever there were issues concerning the Luhya nation. Without him, Mudavadi, Wetangúla and Atwoli can’t issue any direction. He was very accommodating and not a dictator like the Linda Ground leaders,”
“In his absence, ODM has an uphill task to control Western, and I see a situation where, because of its liberal nature of accommodating other parties, voters will be looking at individual candidates, what one can offer instead of the parties,” he said.
Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula told Daily Nation t hat the region supported Mr Odinga because of his political charisma. In his absence, he said ODM’s influence is likely to diminish in the run-up to the 2027 general election.
Mr Savula, who was elected on DAP-K, has since defected to UDA. He is among the top politicians from the region out to popularise UDA in the region.
He claimed that some 10 ODM MPs from the region have indicated their plans to ditch ODM and run on UDA come the next polls.
“We used to support Raila, not the party. Right now, we are working with President Ruto, and we will ensure UDA secures a majority of seats from Western region,” said Mr Savula.
