By Anderson Ojwang
For better or worse, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) will only get into a coalition arrangement with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
ODM party leader Dr Oburu Oginga said ODM was only interested in a coalition with President William Ruto’s party, UDA, and the party has not been swallowed by UDA.
“We as ODM are not interested in other parties we are not negotiating with. We are only particularly interested in UDA, with whom we are going to negotiate,” he said.
Oburu said he was in a good relationship with President Ruto and asked him to rein in some of his party officials causing disunity in the broad-based arrangement.
“I personally, as Dr Oburu Oginga, am in a good relationship with the President, who is the leader of UDA. He needs to discipline and talk to some of his senior officials in his party. That is all we are saying,” he said.
Oburu denied reports in a section of the media that ODM had stopped pre-election coalition negotiations with UDA, terming them as far-fetched.
“I want to clarify that our yesterday’s meeting did not resolve that we stop negotiations talks with UDA as was reported in a section of the media. We cannot stop what has not started. Our negotiations with UDA have not started,” he said.
Oburu said the party was yet to form a technical committee to undertake the negotiations.
“We have not formed the negotiation teams, and there is no issue of putting a break to it. The issues under discussion in the public are what people are thinking aloud. Our technical team is preparing a detailed agenda, and we will make them public and arrive at a solution,” he said.
The disquiet
ODM has been witnessing salient disquiet after the death of Raila, with one section allied to Secretary General Edwin Sifuna opposing the pre-election coalition with UDA and subsequently forming Linda Mwananchi, which has gained traction.
Linda Ground recently held a special delegates conference and mandated the party leader Dr Oburu to embark on negotiations with President Ruto.
And now Wanga has come out strongly to protect ODM from infiltration, saying they were ready to walk out of any negotiations.
“Ka ngato omulo chama wa. Kata in ema omiyo wa mo moleny (If someone tries to destroy our party, even if he is the one who gives us ghee). Waweyo ne mo no (We will leave that ghee),” she said.
Wanga said it was time to protect the party from intrusion and to prevent the party from losing its parliamentary strength in the next election.
“We must protect the party. You cannot go to the negotiation when you only have 20 MPs because you will have no bargaining power,” she said.
Junet claimed that state machinery was being used to pressure ODM legislators – particularly from the Coast and Western regions – to defect to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
The zoning battle
UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar has said the party intends to expand its footprint through coordinated mobilization efforts at the village level, emphasizing that local leaders would play a central role in building support networks and rallying voters behind the party’s agenda.
Omar noted that UDA’s strategy is anchored on inclusivity and open political competition, rejecting any attempts to limit where candidates can contest.
“Anybody who wants to vie against UDA in our strongholds is welcome, and we won’t stop anyone. Similarly, for us, we don’t want anybody to tell us that we cannot file candidates in their strongholds. If it’s your stronghold, why are you worried? If they are your members, what problem do you have when UDA candidates vie? Why the panic?” Omar said.
But Oburu said ODM will not want to compete with people they are in a coalition alliance with, and that is why zoning will be one of the agenda items at the negotiation table.
“We don’t want to compete with UDA at the elections, and we don’t want them to interfere with our strongholds. We respect the relationship we have with UDA,” he said.
Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo has termed the zoning debate as premature, saying it should be deferred and handled at the negotiation table.
“Hakuna haja ya kuanza kubishana iwe kwa Matanga iwe kwa press conference; the place for such kinds of talks is in the negotiations. We must have, and I have always insisted we must have, structured negotiations. Come and say why zoning is bad; come and say why zoning is good.”
In the statement, they observed: “On our relationship with our broad-based partners, the UDA party, the CMC noted with concern the goings-on and the unwarranted public utterances by some senior officials aimed at causing anxiety and disquiet among our members. As a party that believes in its principles, ideology and the foundation on which it was founded, we demand respect from the UDA party.”
Dr Oburu of “Tunataka Pawa” is already settled for better or worse in the ODM and UDA marriage, and nothing will change his mind.
This will translate into Linda Ground moving to get an alternative vehicle.
