Escalating disputes within the ODM party in the Western region following the recent branch elections are threatening the outfit's stability in one of its strong support bases.
If this continues, fringe parties emerging from the region could be the biggest winners, attracting disgruntled members of the Orange Party ahead of the 2027 General Election.
These parties are already courting disaffected ODM members to defect. Some have been promised direct tickets for the next elections.
Counties where disputes have been reported following the grassroots polls include Kakamega, Busia and Homa Bay.
In Kakamega, Governor Fernandes Barasa is involved in political disputes with Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera and 10 other ODM MPs.
Mr Barasa was declared the new Kakamega County ODM chairperson by Returning Officer Felix Ngala in a one-sided election, after Mr Nabwera and his team walked out of the polling hall at Iguhu Medical Training College on Monday.
This followed a stalemate lasting several weeks after the first election failed to take place two weeks ago at Bishop Stam. During this time, Mr Barasa and Mr Nabwera failed to agree on how the election should be conducted.
While the ODM circular for party grassroots elections directs that elections should be conducted either by consensus or by a show of hands, Mr Nabwera insisted that the election should be conducted by secret ballot, claiming that Mr Barasa had brought paid-up county staff to pose as ODM delegates.
Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera addressing ODM MPs from the county at Iguhu grounds in Ikolomani, Kakamega County, on September 1, 2025 where he announced himself as the ODM chairman of the county.
Photo credit: Isaac Wale | Nation
Mr Barasa, on the other hand, advocated for the elections to be carried out through acclamation or consensus, forcing the Returning Officer to postpone the election until further notice.
The same confusion marred the repeat election at Iguhu, creating a chaotic environment after leaders locked themselves in an intense seven-hour meeting, but failed to agree on the voting pattern once again.
Maintaining that he was the County Chairman, Mr Barasa pledged to strengthen the party's presence in Kakamega and ensure that ODM secures a majority of seats in the 2027 General Election.
“I am grateful to the ODM party delegates for electing me to continue serving as their chairperson in Kakamega County. I am committed to ensuring that the party remains visible and vibrant, so that in 2027 we secure all the elected seats, ranging from governor and senator to woman representative, MPs and MCAs,” he said.
Mr Nabwera, accompanied by his close allies and elected leaders, stormed out of the meeting. They then addressed their supporters by the roadside and declared Mr Nabwera the new county chairperson.
Earlier, the ODM elections chairman in Kakamega, Simbaoni Ndombi, had been chased from the polling station by irate Barasa supporters who claimed he was biased.
Of the 10 ODM MPs elected, Governor Barasa has two: Johnson Naicca of Mumias West and Innocent Mugabe of Likuyani.
Mr Barasa promised to make a fresh start and rebrand the party in order to attract more members ahead of the 2027 polls.
'This is the new team tasked with not only reviving membership, but also trust and loyalty, and winning back lost members. We shall traverse all the sub-counties to ensure the party regains its lost glory,' said Mr Nabwera.
In Busia, where the elections had been postponed, Governor Paul Otuoma was declared the winner despite his competitors, Matayos MP Geoffrey Odanga and Teso North MP Oku Kaunya, rejecting the outcome of the election.
Mr Odanga claimed that no election had been held and that he remained the chairperson, a position he has held for the last three years.
“There can only be one chairman at a time. There is no way Governor Otuoma can be the chairperson when I was duly elected to serve the ODM members in Busia County,” said Mr Odanga.
The ongoing disputes within the ODM in the Western region could lead to the downfall of one of the country's oldest political parties and pave the way for smaller outfits, including the Democratic Action Party of Kenya, Rigathi Gachagua's Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), Barack Muluka's Democratic National Alliance (DNA), and Senator Boni Khalwale's United Patriotic Movement (UPM), to challenge its political dominance in the region.
Some ODM members in Kakamega now want their party leader, Raila Odinga, to intervene and streamline party operations before the 2027 election campaigns begin.
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga addresses the party’s National Governing Council in the past.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
“We call upon Raila Odinga to intervene in the political battles that are threatening the stability of the party. We are worried that our party is going to the dogs,' said Everline Were, an MCA in the Kakamega County Assembly.
While some members welcomed the results, others accused senior officials of interfering with the outcome of the poll.
In Ndhiwa, the party announced that the constituency chairperson is Kanyamwa Kosewe, the MCA for Nicholas Owaka.
However, another team led by Jerry Odeny, Ogina Nyabola, Harrison Abo and Odero Ogada, all of whom served before the election, opposed the outcome and asked for it to be revoked.
Mr Owaka said that members of the party have been embroiled in leadership disputes ever since the election.
'The dust has settled, and the party has announced the winners. It is now time to work for the party and increase its popularity," said the MCA.
Nevertheless, Mr Odeny and his team insisted on occupying the offices, claiming that the people declared the winners are officers of the Homa Bay County government.
"How will they work for the people once they join politics? Some are already directors in the county government and should resign if they want to take up political seats," he said.
He also claimed that some of his opponents did not participate in the poll, yet their names appeared as winners.
