Broad-based government critics in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) are now walking a political tightrope with their options narrowing ahead of the 2027 General Election amid widening ideological split in the party.
With ODM unlikely to engage in any reverse gear on pre-election pact negotiations with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA), top party officials opposed to the outfit backing Dr Ruto’s re-election are now walking on eggshells.
The Monday Vipingo meeting by the outfit’s top organ left no doubts that it is no longer a matter of if but when the Dr Oburu Oginga-led party will formalise a coalition with UDA with a view to backing the President’s 2027 re-election bid.
ODM Party Leader Oburu Odinga with deputy party leaders Abdulswamad Nassir and Simba Arati, chairperson Gladys Wanga and others at the top leadership meeting held at Vipingo Ridge, Kilifi County, on January 12, 2025.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation Media Group
Since the meeting, the opposing voices have been quiet and have not posted anything in regard to the new development.
With the political train appearing to have left the station, the goose appears to be cooked already for the “rebels” with the two parties moving forward with the planned coalition talks with ODM.
Sources told the Nation that the party has adopted a new strategy of ignoring the dissenters and having its top organs rubber-stamp decisions of the party.
The new strategy was arrived at in order not to play into the hands of the opposing voices who the pro-broad-based team is accusing of wanting to milk political capital from being disciplined or expelled from the party.
The National Executive Council (NEC) and the national governing council are the other party top organs apart from the central management committee.
For instance, the Monday resolution will now proceed to the NEC to pass the same before a ratification by the National Delegates Convention.
“The opposing voices are just two and cannot dictate what decision the party organs will resolve. Like in the Vipingo meeting, is a decision by 13 people useless compared to two? Can the two make a decision for the 13 of us?” posed one source.
Another source said the two leaders were waiting for the meeting to take disciplinary action against them and one was even readying a counter-narrative, only for the meeting to abandon that route.
The new strategy has now thrown the opposing camp into disarray, leaving them scrambling to counter the proposed political marriage between UDA and ODM.
The Central Management Committee meeting was attended by 13 out of the 15 members of the committee, a resounding endorsement of the direction the party wants to take.
Apart from Dr Oburu, the other members present included national chairperson Gladys Wanga, Treasurer Timothy Bosire, deputy party leaders Simba Arati and Abdulswamad Nassir, Organising-Secretary Ahmed Abdullahi, Junet Mohamed, Stewart Madzayo, Oduor Ong’wen, Rosa Buyu as well as the three individuals picked by the party leader.
Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna and co-deputy party leader Godfrey Osotsi – who are members of the committee, did not attend the meeting but sent their apologies, according to Dr Oburu.
However, the reason given for non-attendance by Senator Sifuna, a vocal critic of the broad-based government, that he missed his flight, fuelled more speculations of his absence.
On the other hand, Senator Osotsi – who is out of the country, questioned the hurried nature of the meeting, saying his request to push back the meeting to accommodate all CMC members fell on deaf ears.
Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on Tuesday, Governor Wanga dismissed any talks of expelling opposing voices within the party.
However, she minced no words, saying that although the party allows for divergent opinions, but once it has made a binding decision, then the same should be followed.
“ODM is a democratic party. Anyone at the party is allowed to have their own opinion. So Sifuna’s opinion regarding President Ruto is his opinion,” said the Homa Bay governor.
“But once the party makes a binding decision, then it should be followed. We are not chasing anyone away from the party. What has Sifuna done wrong to be sent away?” she posed.
Since the death of its founding leader Raila Odinga, the party has been embroiled in fierce factional turf wars with the outfit’s stand on backing President Ruto’s re-election at the centre of the simmering infighting.
ODM leader Oburu Odinga with with the party's Central Management Committee at Vipingo Ridge, Kilifi County, on January 12, 2025.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation Media Group
SG Sifuna, Senator Osotsi and Siaya Governor James Orengo have been at the forefront of opposing any attempts to back the President.
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga have also appeared to side with the Senator Sifuna-led group.
There are also Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka, Saboti MP Caleb Amisi, his Kitutu Chache counterpart Anthony Kibagendi and Suba South MP Caroli Omondi – a group that appears more outside ODM than they are in the party after intimating they will not use the outfit to contest in 2027.
Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo, Turkana South MP Ariko Namoit, and nominated senators Crystal Asige and Catherine Mumma were spotted in a recent meeting with the Sifuna camp.
Mr Sifuna has been outspoken in his criticism of the broad-based government and plans to have the party throw its weight behind Dr Ruto’s re-election.
The deputy Senate minority whip has been adamant ODM is not interested in more positions in the government but wants the Head of State to implement the 10-point agenda agreed upon between himself and Mr Odinga.
Governor Orengo has also claimed certain individuals within the party of plans to sell ODM, accusing them of making a “sweetheart” deal with the President. He said the former prime minister did not leave party supporters in the government but just individuals and that ODM will not support President Ruto blindly.
For his part, Senator Osotsi has maintained ODM will not support Dr Ruto’s re-election if the 10-point agenda has not been implemented. He said the President has until March 2026 to show what has been implemented, failure to which, he should forget their support.
Speaking to Nation yesterday, Mr Junet said the rumblings were there because of a lack of clear party position, a situation that was cleared on Monday, and the party’s position is final.
“Have you heard anyone making a statement after the resolution of the party on Monday? Before, there was no clear position of the party on the matter,” said the National Assembly minority leader.
Reached for comment, Senator Osotsi said he does not wish to comment on the issue, while SG Sifuna did not respond to our calls.
Senator Sifuna has been bullish that no one “will dictate or choose for us friends and enemies or who to associate with”.
The first-term senator has in the past even hinted at the possibility of quitting the party should it go ahead and resolve to support President Ruto’s re-election.
Together with MP Amisi, he threatened to lead a mass walkout from the outfit should the party support the bid.
Speaking to Nation , MP Amisi said: “This is a train that left the station a long time ago and they (ODM) are just trying to gather passengers along the way. But before it reaches the destination, which we know, and there being no U-turn, some of us will have no option but to jump out of the train at the convenient time even when it is on motion.”
All eyes will now be on the next course of action of the opposing voices ahead of the NDC, which could possibly be convened before June this year.
Nonetheless, the NDC could set stage for a tense meeting after some 40 ODM MPs on Monday endorsed the planned coalition talks, calling on dissenting voices to quit the party instead of sabotaging it from within.
Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang’ asked the MPs not happy with the decision of the Central committee to quit and join the opposition.
Makadara MP George Aladwa said the resolution of the party’s top organ is final when it comes to the direction ODM will take going forward.
Makadara MP and ODM Nairobi branch chairperson George Aladw speaks to the media in Kawangware, Nairobi, on Sunday, September 28, 2025.
Photo credit: DENNIS ONSONGO | NATION
“For those who have not been satisfied with the decision of the ODM, it is good that they are informed early to quit since the vehicle has left the stage,” Mr Aladwa said.
Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma urged the party leadership to stand firm and take action against some of the leaders who are misleading party members by giving them mixed signals.
“To those who are giving discordant voices, henceforth, we are telling the Central Committee and our party to act and to bring back discipline and sanction in the party. I know SG Sifuna was not in Mombasa, but I want to request him, we are the ones who put you there, please follow the party line.”
