A simmering political storm within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) burst into the open after party leader Dr Oburu Oginga mounted a spirited defence of senior government officials Raymond Omollo and Opiyo Wandayi, telling critics demanding their removal to “shut up.”
Speaking amid growing unease in ODM’s Luo Nyanza base, Dr Oginga dismissed calls to sack the two as misguided and self-defeating, warning that such agitation risks undermining the region’s foothold in government at a delicate political moment.
“It is unfortunate that our own people are the ones raising the issue that our people in government should be sacked,” Dr Oginga said. “If they are sacked, will you get a replacement from this area? Kenya is big; it is not yours; it is for everybody.”
Dr Oginga spoke amid pressure by a section of leaders to have Dr Omollo, the Interior Principal Secretary, kicked out of government following allegations of sponsoring goons.
On the other hand, Mr Wandayi, the Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary, has also been under pressure to step aside over the recent fuel scandal that saw his Principal Secretary and other senior government officials resign.
CS Opiyo Wandayi when he apeared before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Energy on Monday, April 13, 2026.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation
“I’m telling those who are demanding the sacking of our own people who are in government to shut up,” Dr Oginga charged.
His intervention throws into sharp relief the widening rift within ODM over how to navigate its evolving relationship with President William Ruto’s administration following the formation of the broad-based government arrangement in July 2024.
While some ODM leaders have warmed to cooperation with the Kenya Kwanza regime—citing development gains and national stability—others remain deeply skeptical, viewing the engagement as a betrayal of the party’s long-standing opposition posture.
Dr Oginga insisted that some leaders in government did not secure their positions through political patronage between ODM and UDA.
“Those who want our people to be sacked from government should shut up because they don’t know how some of those people got those opportunities,” he said. “Some of them were appointed long before we got into the broad-based government,” Dr Oginga added, alluding to PS Omollo.
His remarks appear aimed at correcting what he sees as a misrepresentation of the origins of certain appointments, particularly Dr Omollo’s, which predates the latest political realignments.
Dr Raymond Omollo, Principal Secretary, State Department for Internal Security and National Administration, addresses boda boda operators during an engagement forum at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Sports Complex in Kisumu on April 18, 2026.
Photo credit: Alex Odhiambo | Nation
Dr Oginga’s defence of the leaders points to a competing logic that representation within government is itself a form of political leverage.
By maintaining a presence in key state positions, the figures can influence policy decisions, channel resources to their regions, and ensure that their constituents are not sidelined.
“Will you get a replacement from this area?” Dr Oginga posed, framing the issue as one of regional equity rather than partisan purity.
This argument resonates with a segment of leaders who believe that total disengagement from government risks isolating Nyanza from national development priorities.
A former Minority Leader in the National Assembly and a long-time ODM loyalist, his elevation to Cabinet rank marked one of the clearest signs yet of the shifting political terrain.
His supporters believe that his appointment represents a strategic win—proof that ODM figures can wield influence at the highest levels of government.
Dr Omollo, on the other hand, has largely been viewed through a technocratic lens.
As Principal Secretary in a critical security docket, his role has been framed less as political and more as administrative—focused on implementing government policy rather than shaping partisan direction.
Dr Oginga’s emphasis on the timing of Dr Omollo’s appointment appears designed to shield him from the political crossfire, portraying him as a professional whose position should not be subject to shifting political winds.
