By Anderson Ojwang
The late Raila Amolo Odinga’s political bedroom, Kibra, on Wednesday evening spoke loudly, bluntly and clearly. The message was pregnant, heavily loaded in symbolism and figurative in nature.
The spirits of the Enigma, Raila, too did not disappoint and left the conveners of the meeting with rotten eggs on their faces. The rally was a farce, a disappointment, colourless and a show of lack of leadership in the party.
If anything, it marked a false step in the political journey of the new party leader, Dr Oburu Odinga, and when he dropped the traditional head gear from his head to the ground and later a member of his team wore for him an ODM cape, it was so symbolic and telling.
The rally was a theatre and cocktail of a false start, chaos, confusion, disorganisation and a sad reality of the vacuum left behind by Raila, in which Oburu and his allies are struggling to fit in but have miserably failed.
Confusion and chaos galore
Confusion and chaos visited and built a home at the main podium as Oburu was heard begging to be allowed to address the crowd as MP Tom Kajwang urged him to speak.
Kajwang: Daktari, speak. Sema jambo kwa dakika moja. Daktari. Mos jo piny. (Doctor, speak to the people for a minute. Doctor, greet the people).
In response, Oburu said: Koro eka adwa wuoyo (it is now when I want to speak). To koro ok miya thuolo mondo alosi (Why don’t you give me the opportunity to speak?). Miya uru thuolo mondo alosi. Yawa (Kindly give me the opportunity to speak).
Kajwang tried calming the crowd: Ongea tu daktari, wuo awuoya (Doctor, just speak).
In the chaos and confusion, Oburu requested again: Koro wena uru mondo alosi (Now allow me to speak), and he spoke out, Wanainchi wa Kibra, hamjambo, but was drowned in noise and said, Ok owena thuolo mondo alosi. Wena uru thuolo mondo alosi, yawa (Kindly grant me the opportunity to speak, my people).
The crowd continued to push and pull, and Kajwang called one of Dr Oburu’s security details, Ken Adhu, to restore order, saying: Adhu, pang uru joma nitie tok daktari go (Adhu, kindly handle those people behind Dr Oburu).
He took the microphone again and said: Apenjie aye uru mondo koro alosi (I ask you to move so that I can speak). Wanainchi wa Kibra, munanizikiza. Leo ni leo.
Nimeanza na Kibra kwa sababu nilipoteza ndugu yangu, rafiki yangu, ambaye alikuwa party leader wangu (I have started my rallies with Kibra because I lost my brother and my party leader), and then spoke in Dholuo: Jodalawa, pod ayuago Raila. Ok ungeyo ni pod ayuago Raila. Ema omiyo aduogo e bedroom mar Raila mondo ayuage kaye, ema achake bura (My people, I am still mourning Raila. You know I am still mourning him. That is why I have begun the rallies from Raila’s bedroom).
Colourless and disorganised
The rally was a shadow of Raila’s political rallies in Kibra, which were a sea of humanity, well coordinated with proper security arrangements. Yesterday’s rally left Oburu and party leaders exposed as the public jammed the main dais.
Wide berth
The rally was given a wide berth by popular ODM leaders from Nairobi and nationally, including Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga and Siaya Governor James Orengo.
In attendance were ODM National Chairman Governor Gladys Wanga, ODM Deputy Party Leader Abdulswamad Nassir and his counterpart, Kisii Governor Simba Arati.
Recently, the ODM Central Committee mandated Oburu to engage in pre-election negotiations with President William Ruto’s UDA ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Conspicuously absent at the Kilifi meeting were Sifuna and Deputy Party Leader Geoffrey Osotsi.
The death of Raila has led to sharp divisions in the party, with Oburu leading a wing committed to a coalition alliance with Ruto, against the Orengo wing that wants the party to first reorganise before engaging in any coalition arrangement.
Last week, Mama Ida Odinga appealed to the party leadership not to kill ODM but instead to engage in dialogue in order to preserve Raila’s legacy.
“It is my wish that we preserve the party in his honour as a matter of service to our country. I appeal to those Baba left in the leadership of the party to reflect deeply and sincerely on his dreams for the party and for our country,” she said.
Last Friday in Alego, Oburu said the party would soon establish a committee to spearhead coalition negotiations with President Ruto’s UDA party.
Dr Oburu said ODM would form a team to negotiate with President Ruto on new coalition alliance terms, noting that the first preference would be given to President Ruto.
“Now as we approach 2027, we are not going to get into government through the back door. We are going to have a negotiated arrangement. It will be headed by me.
It will not be easy, but a tough negotiation. We will get our share. 2026 is the year of negotiations for any arrangements.
Either we go in partnership with UDA or any other party.
We will soon establish a negotiation team and start negotiating with others because it is difficult for a party to go it alone without seeking the support of other parties.”
Recently, a section of ODM legislators who were alarmed by self-cannibalism in the party requested Oburu to convene an urgent party meeting to contain the self-destruct situation.
