The ODM’s Tuesday parliamentary group meeting left the party grappling with five key issues as it prepares to engage with President William Ruto’s UDA in a possible electoral partnership.
Among the critical issues that nearly all members who spoke at the meeting called on the leadership to address urgently are zoning, how to deal with the Linda Mwananchi faction, and who from the party should sit at the negotiating table with UDA.
Other issues raised included how to engage with President Ruto following the release of the report on the 10-point agenda signed by the late Raila Odinga and the Head of State last year as part of their political engagement. Messaging by the party ahead of the 2027 General Election was also a key topic of discussion at the meeting.
Regarding zoning, the party wants to bar all affiliate parties it intends to engage with, including President Ruto’s UDA, from fielding candidates in its traditional strongholds, such as Nyanza.
During the meeting, party leader Oburu Odinga told lawmakers that the negotiating team will push for zoning when they meet with UDA.
“We are going to push for UDA not to field candidates in our bases. Those who will be going to the negotiations must state this, but so far, we have not negotiated anything,” said Dr Oburu.
ODM party leader Oburu Oginga and party chair Gladys Wanga.
Photo credit: Pool
Party chairperson Gladys Wanga also said that the party’s strength in negotiations with other allies depends on its numbers.
“We must guard our current numbers and win more, so that we come to parliament with a stronger presence,” she said.
However, President Ruto’s party has rejected the zoning push by ODM, leaving the Orange Party with a sour taste as it navigates its way through the 2027 polls.
Regarding the Linda Mwananchi faction, a splinter group within the party that is opposed to supporting President Ruto’s push for a second term, some members believe that they are still part of the party and should not be punished.
The National Assembly Minority Leader, Junet Mohammed, played down the division, as both factions attended the meeting.
“As you can see, there are no Linda Ground or Linda Mwananchi here; these are all ODM members,” he said after the meeting in Parliament.
Suna East MP and National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed during an interview at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi on January 15, 2025.
Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group
Another source at the meeting said that both factions are still using the ODM name at their rallies and should therefore be embraced.
Regarding engagement with President Ruto for the 2027 pact, the party is grappling with various suggestions that arose during the meeting regarding the form and structure of the talks.
During the meeting, some members suggested that the party leader should have the discretion to choose the team, provided that at least two-thirds of the National Executive Committee (NEC) members approve.
However, other members feel that each region should nominate at least three people to lead the party in negotiations.
The party is also grappling with the question of whether the entire negotiating team should comprise politicians or whether it should include technocrats.
The Daily Nation has also learnt that the party is considering having a team of between three and nine people to lead the negotiations.
However, the four former ODM members who are currently serving as Cabinet Secretaries as ‘experts’ have been ruled out, as members said ‘they cannot negotiate with their boss’.
This means John Mbadi (National Treasury), Opiyo Wandayi (Energy), Hassan Joho (Mining and Blue Economy), and Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya (Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) will not be part of the negotiating team.
Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho addresses a 'Linda Ground' rally at Tononoka grounds in Mombasa on February 15, 2026.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation Media Group
On messaging, members expressed concerns that during their rallies, they spend more time speaking about broad based government instead of speaking about the agenda of the party.
This according to the members makes the Kenya Kwanza administration and its leaders more popular on the ground than ODM.
Members pointed out that there is no clear channel of communication from the party, a factor that leaves them at crossroads on what to tell their supporters during political rallies.
Edwin Sifuna addresses the media at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi on February 18, 2026.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group
Opinion is also divided on the 10-point agenda as set out in a Memorandum of Understanding signed by president William Ruto and the late Raila Odinga. While some members term it a continuous process which had no deadline, others feel by the agreement should lapse by Saturday which marks one year since the deal was signed.
The two parties-ODM and UDA have planned a joint parliamentary meeting next week on Tuesday to discuss the progress and review the implementation of the agenda.
Suspended ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna had indicated that the timeline for implementation of the 10-point agenda was to lapse on March 7 last year.
