By Anderson Ojwang
For decades of living in obscurity, away from the trappings of power and playing second fiddle to his younger brother, the late Raila Amolo Odinga, the Siaya Senator, Dr Oburu Odinga, only tasted and smelt power from a distance.
For Oburu, despite the trappings of power residing at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s stead, he only smelt it from a distance, at his brother’s parlour.
While Raila enjoyed the trappings of power both at home and internationally, Oburu struggled to carve himself a niche but fell down the pecking order even to new entrants who found him in politics but wriggled their way into Raila’s seat of power.
While Raila flew in choppers and was welcomed and received by near-fanatical crowds, Oburu travelled by road or used commercial airlines to reach his destinations.
But the demise of Raila opened up a new world to Oburu — a world he had only smelt from afar and dreamt of, but which had evaded him for three decades.
With attention now focused on him after his appointment as the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, Oburu is the new kid on the block.
Oburu has undergone a complete metamorphosis and is currently clad in designer outfits, and is ever in choppers attending functions and parties that were previously the preserve of Raila.
Currently, Oburu is the centre of attraction and the focal point, as he has the ear of President William Ruto. In him, President Ruto hopes that for a second time he will deliver the Luo vote in 2027, after he successfully delivered his younger brother, Raila, to the broad-based arrangement.
On Saturday, Oburu told those who thought he would die soon that he is still alive, saying he is an age-mate of US President Donald Trump and will remain the party leader.
“I am not going to be shaken and I will sit on the seat of party leader of ODM squarely.
And anybody who thinks that Oburu Odinga is about to die, or that Oburu Odinga is going soon, is seriously mistaken.
I am of the same age as Trump, the US President. Trump is also 82 years of age, like me,” he said.
Oburu was propped up to the seat by a mysterious hand even before the body of his younger brother arrived in the country, following a 6.00 am meeting in Nairobi.
Oburu told reporters: “When we were receiving the body of Raila at the airport, and the party had just met at 6.00 am in the morning, the NEC and somebody just came and whispered to me, when I was still in shock, ‘Do you know what the NEC has done? You have been appointed as the interim party leader.’
I was so shocked. How did they appoint me at this time, when I am still in this state? Then they told me to think about it. They have nominated you to be the one. I feel I am the most sober in the circumstances, and I am trying to sober myself in terms of experience — which other people match mine?’”
ODM Deputy Party Leader and Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir read a press statement after the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
“We believe in unity of purpose and a stronger democratic party — a party that must live on for many years to come. With this regard, the NEC has designated the Senator of Siaya County, Dr Oburu Odinga, to be the acting party leader until the time top party organs will meet and elect a substantive party leader to fit the big shoes that have been left by our party leader,” he read.
Suba South MP Caroli Omondi recently spoke of the emergence of a mysterious hand pulling the strings in the party.
“There was a very quick transition even before Baba’s body arrived. When Mzee Oburu announced that he had accepted to be the party leader, he said he did not even know that there was a process to make him party leader.
What that implies is that that call came from somewhere else, and that worries me a lot. This is because it therefore seems that ODM is getting directions and control from somewhere else,” he said.
Oburu recently told off Deputy Party Leader Geoffrey Osotsi, saying there was no power vacuum in the party and that he had fully assumed the position.
“I want to call for unity in our party. I also want to say there is no vacuum. Raila left very big shoes, but I have been given those shoes and I am sitting there.
Hon Osotsi, don’t say that you are going to go down to arrange. What are you going to arrange again? I ask our people, let us stand with ODM and let us not accept to be divided, but united,” he said.
During the ODM celebrations in Mombasa, Winnie Odinga called for a National Delegates Conference (NDC) to choose a new team to manage the broad-based arrangement with President Ruto.
“There is something I wanted to tell you. When it came to the matter of broad-based government, the people of ODM entrusted one person with the management of that relationship. That person was Baba Raila Amolo Odinga.
That relationship is complicated, and therefore we are looking and wondering: those who are taking it upon themselves to manage it now, are they capable of managing that relationship?
I don’t think that is the question for me to answer. That is the question for the people of ODM to answer. That is why, as party leader, I am requesting that we go back to the people and have an NDC to see who the people want to pick to manage that same relationship,” she said.
Yesterday, Oburu asked party members to support the broad-based arrangement, saying it was Raila’s will.
“My people, I am telling you that this broad-based arrangement which Raila left us is the best arrangement he could have done, and this is where our people should stay.
We are going to move forward so that in 2027 our people are in government and in opposition,” he said.
As things stand, Oburu has finally landed on the trappings of power, and he is not about to relinquish them any time soon.
