By Anderson Ojwang
The late Raila Amolo Odinga braved hails of teargas, gunshots and police beatings while hundreds of youths sacrificed their lives for the struggle.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), founded on constitutional reforms, has lived up to its billing, leading the country in several struggles—from economic and human rights to electoral justice liberation.
Leading from the ground was the Enigma, who sacrificed his presidential interests for a dignified and united country, Kenya.
For the last four presidential elections, Raila sacrificed his presidential ambition and withdrew youths from the streets to give dialogue a chance and, indeed, Kenya regained her sanity.
And when he died, the world converged to celebrate and not to mourn the hero of the century—the selfless revolutionary who led from the front and confronted guns without fear.
Raila often sang, “Unipige teke sita rudi nyuma. Unifunge pingu sita rudi nyuma. Hata wakinipiga na risasi sita rudi nyuma” (Even if they kick me, I will not retreat. If they chain me, I will not retreat. Even if they shoot me, I will not retreat).
Raila led the constitutional reforms that first resulted in the rejection of the Wako Draft Constitution, and consequently, ODM was birthed and became the party of the moment.
Raila paid the price for rejecting the Wako Draft Constitution and was subsequently sacked from the Cabinet by then President Mwai Kibaki.
When the curtain finally fell on Raila, a new picture emerged—the shadowy Dr Oburu Odinga as the new party leader. Oburu, in his life, became the family’s chief negotiator with successive governments and remained in government until after the demise of his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, while Raila either stayed in detention or exile.
The emergence of Oburu
Oburu was appointed acting party leader at dawn by the Central Committee without his knowledge and was only informed of the appointment by the ODM Director of Elections at the Kenyatta International Airport while waiting to receive his brother’s body from India.
Oburu, the architect of the broad-based government, has found himself at a crossroads as he watches and presides over what can be termed the slow puncturing and death of his beloved brother’s party.
That is why analysts are questioning the unprocedural appointment of Oburu Odinga as acting Party Leader and whether he stands for ODM ideals.
The strategy of making Oburu the party leader rode on the emotions of the moment following Raila’s death.
“The move was against the precedent set by Raila himself when he appointed Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o when the PM stepped aside to pursue the AU Chairmanship. Prof Nyong’o derived his clout from having been the party’s Secretary General, while Oburu’s relevance is only that he is Raila’s brother, since he has never held any senior party position,” argued a section of dissatisfied party members.
“I am not going to be shaken and 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,” Oburu said.
Internal cannibalism
MPs led by ODM Vice National Chairman Dr Otiende Amolo have said the wrangles in the party are worrying and a betrayal of the late Raila.
They said ODM was the largest party in the country and expressed concern over the spectacle of self-cannibalisation that has been exhibited of late in the party.
“It is testament to how much we miss the wisdom and iconic leadership of our departed Rt Hon Raila Odinga that divisive rhetoric has taken over our politics without restraint,” read the statement.
The statement, signed by Dr Otiende Amolo, Millie Odhiambo (MP, Suba North), Tom Odege (MP, Nyatike), Catherine Muma (Nominated MP), Dr John Ariko (MP, Turkana South), Martin Owino (MP, Ndhiwa) and Aduma Owuor (MP, Nyakach), called on the party leadership to convene party organs to address the situation.
“It is for this reason that we request our party leader, Dr Oburu Odinga, to move with speed, convene the party’s organs and help restore public confidence in the party before we begin to haemorrhage members to insignificant political formations,” they wrote.
The broad-based fallout
Winnie Odinga lit the fire over the management of the broad-based arrangement and called for a new team to manage it.
“There is something I wanted to tell you. When it came to the matter of the 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 wondering whether those who are now taking it upon themselves to manage it are capable of doing so.
I don’t think that is a question for me to answer. That is a question for the people of ODM to answer. That is why 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.
Oburu responded by stating that he was the brain behind and chaired all the broad-based meetings between Raila and Ruto.
“Those who are saying that Oburu is not validly elected, I challenge them—if they say it is an NDC, let us go to the NDC and I will call it very soon,” he said.
Oburu said he had been chairing all the broad-based arrangements between Ruto and the late Raila.
“Those who are saying Oburu does not talk are talking nonsense. In this broad-based arrangement, I want to assure those saying that it was only Raila who could handle it and that Oburu does not know anything about it.
I want to tell them that all the meetings of the broad-based arrangement with Ruto were chaired by Oburu Odinga before you here today,” he said.
The rise of ODM and youth blood sacrifice
ODM became the great political party it is today by wading through the blood of youths who served as its foot soldiers.
In 2023, some 77 youths were shot dead by the UDA regime. In the 2024 Gen Z riots, over 100 youths were gunned down.
Several have disappeared to date, and many still face state-stage-managed criminal charges.
Killing ODM
The consequence of Hon Oburu’s recent announcement that he is the party’s automatic candidate neatly fits into the overarching scheme of the puppeteer to reduce ODM into a strictly Luo party. This is an evil scheme to kill ODM—a party many of us have sacrificed blood to build.
Mama Ida Odinga asked the ODM leadership not to kill the party but instead preserve it as a legacy.
