By Anderson Ojwang

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has moved to distance itself from the activities of the self-claimed adopted son of the late Raila Odinga, Oketch Salah, terming them personal.

Smarting from last evening’s Linda Comrade event in Nairobi and left with egg on its face, ODM has moved to save face by distancing itself from Salah’s activities.

ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga clarified that any activities, statements or engagements undertaken by Oketch Salah are carried out strictly in his personal capacity and do not represent or bind the party in any way.

Interestingly, Oketch Salah has been conducting the activities in the company of Jaoko Oburu, the second-born son of the party leader, Dr Oburu Oginga. Jaoko was present at the Linda Comrade event.

“All official ODM activities, programmes and engagements are channelled through the party secretariat and are undertaken with the approval and guidance of the party leadership headed by Dr Oburu Odinga,” she wrote.

Yesterday, the Linda Comrade event hosted by Salah and Jaoko at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) ended prematurely after the crowd demanded allowances, forcing the convenors to sneak out of the venue.

Enraged youths burnt party T-shirts and accused Oketch of destroying the party and Raila’s legacy.

“Oketch Salah is destroying the party. What he is doing is not in line with the party ideology and we will not allow him to destroy Raila’s legacy,” said a group of youths.

In a recent interview, Raila’s daughter, Winnie Odinga, said Oketch was a stranger and should either be taken to Mathari or the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters for interrogation.

“I have met Oketch Salah but I would like to believe nobody really knows him. I also feel sad for him. My father died and that was a traumatic experience for me.
At least he died with somebody he knew loved him. And people need to take care of their loved ones.
When you leave here and take Thika Road, you have two options: you either turn right as if you are going to Mathari or to the DCI because a flat lie that you were there at the time of my father’s death when you were not, and talking about things that did not occur, is quite dangerous and makes me question a lot of things. What would be those intentions?
He should be rushed to either Mathari or the DCI with immediate effect,” she said.

Oketch recently claimed on his social media platforms that he is Raila’s adopted son and that he was with him at his deathbed and when he first fell ill.

Even after Winnie disowned Salah, Jaoko Oburu has been criss-crossing the country with Salah meeting ODM delegates. Jaoko went ahead to recognise Salah and even called him “Let me call him Oketch Salah Odinga.”

Last week, speaking in South Rift, Oketch Salah said he was financially prepared to buy out delegates to support the election of Oburu as the party leader at the National Delegates Conference (NDC).

“It is our request to allow Dr Oburu to begin discussions with President William Ruto on the pre-election coalition pact. Do you agree and accept that Dr Oburu, as the party leader, should begin the talks?
When we go to the National Delegates Conference (NDC), all the delegates who are here, if anyone tries to bribe you, just know we have the money. If they try to bribe you, don’t agree. We have the money. Do not be bribed by anyone. If anyone wants to bribe you so that you vote against Dr Oburu, come to me and ask me for money,” he said.

Recently, Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Adhiambo Odinga decried the presence of huge amounts of money in the ODM party, saying it was negating its basic principles and operations.

Ruth wondered where the huge amounts of money currently being used by the party were coming from.

“But we are seeing a situation where a lot of money is flying around, and there appears to be a deliberate approach to commit the ODM party into a coalition agreement more than a year before the next general election.
Where is the money coming from? Is it in the Budget and Appropriations Committee at the National Assembly? I know that the government has not given ODM party money. So where is all the money coming from?” she asked.

Wanga said the party remains committed to order, discipline and structured engagement in the pursuit of its objectives.

By Remmy Butia

The political landscape of Nandi County has been jolted by a seismic announcement. The planned return of its first Governor, Dr Cleophas Lagat, alias Chematel, to the race for the county’s top seat in 2027 is sending palpable chills across political circles and forcing a frantic recalculation among declared aspirants. After his defeat in 2017 by the incumbent, Governor Stephen Sang, Lagat’s re-entry is not just a candidacy; it is a powerful narrative threatening to upend established succession plans.

Lagat, who steered the county from its inception in 2013, carries the complex legacy of a pioneer. While his tenure is often critiqued for tangible development shortfalls, it is concurrently viewed with a significant degree of nostalgic sympathy and understanding. Analysts and voters alike acknowledge that, as the first governor, his primary task was the herculean effort of establishing the devolved system from scratch—setting up structures, systems, and the very architecture of county governance. For many, this foundational role, coupled with his perceived personal humility and connection to the people, has cemented a reservoir of goodwill that transcends a mere scorecard of projects.

It is precisely this reservoir that now makes him a formidable threat, particularly in the vote-rich Mosop Sub-County. His declaration explodes an already crowded and competitive field from this expansive region. The race to succeed Sang had prominently featured two powerful women from Mosop: the current Nandi Woman Representative, Cynthia Muge (Kipkaren Ward), and the sitting Deputy Governor, Dr Yulita Cheruiyot (Ndalat Ward), who is serving her second term as Sang’s deputy. Both had been positioning themselves as natural heirs, with Yulita banking on executive experience and continuity, and Muge leveraging her national platform and legislative record.

Enter Cleophas Lagat, hailing from Kurgung/Surungai Ward, who now dramatically splits the Mosop vote three ways. His candidacy directly complicates the arithmetic for Cynthia and Yulita, as he is likely to siphon off a substantial portion of the sub-county’s support base, potentially creating a stalemate that could benefit a candidate from another region. The fear among his Mosop rivals is acute: the “son of the soil” factor is now dangerously diluted.

Beyond geography, Lagat’s return frames the 2027 election as a historic referendum: the Foundational Administrator versus the Development Inheritors. His campaign is expected to pivot on the narrative of a seasoned father figure returning to “complete the work” he started, with the promise that, free from the initial burdens of institution-building, he can now focus on delivery. This message could resonate with voters who feel the county’s potential remains untapped.

For other aspirants from sub-counties like Chesumei, Nandi Hills and Tinderet, Lagat’s entry is a double-edged sword. While it weakens the collective front from Mosop, it also introduces a wildcard with high name recognition and a proven, though dated, voter base. The 2017 defeat is being reframed by Lagat’s strategists not as a rejection, but as a temporary setback—a narrative they believe can galvanise a comeback.

As the dust settles on the announcement, the chill in Nandi politics is real. Strategies are being rewritten, alliances reconsidered, and attack lines redrawn. Dr Cleophas Lagat has not just entered the race; he has fundamentally altered its chemistry and dynamics. The 2027 gubernatorial contest is no longer a simple succession battle; it is shaping up to be an epic clash of legacies, regions, and political resurrection, with the county’s pioneer determined to reclaim his crown. The scramble for Nandi has just begun, and it is colder and more unpredictable than anyone anticipated.

By Anderson Ojwang

As the dust of death of the Enigma, Raila Amolo Odinga begins to settle, questions are emerging why his trusted lieutenant who was omnipresent in his life did not travel to India to collect his body.
And why he presided over the leadership change in the party hardly 12 hours after Raila’s death and did not wait to honor the mourning period of his boss before the changes were made ?

Raila’s known closest ally, Junet Mohammed, who is also the party Director of Elections is on the spot over allegedly betraying Raila in death.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua raised the storm when he claimed that the day Raila died and delegation went to India to bring his body Junet and ODM National chairperson Gladys Wanga were plotting on how to “sell’ the party to President William Ruto.”

“William Ruto has bought ODM. It was sold by Junet and Wanga. They have already received the deposit of sales on the day Raila died. Junet used to be with Raila throughout, he never went to collect his body. He reached at the Jomo Kenyata International Airport and pretended to be sick. And was left behind selling ODM” he said.

But Junet denied Gachagua claims saying he was sick and had undergone a medical procedure.

“I was supposed to be in the team that was supposed to go India but I was still not feeling well. I had a procedure actually. And the records are there. Don’t listen to people like Gachagua who are saying things of gutter. They can say anything. Those are people who belong to the gutter,” he said.

ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna said in a recent interview that Junet was scheduled to be in the flight but excused himself that he was not feeling well and so did not travel.

“I remember getting into that flight and I looked around I could not see enough of Raila friends. I was very hungry. I was wondering who are these people going to fetch Mzee,” he said.

Ironically, at the Airport while waiting for the body of Raila to land, Oburu Oginga said Junet broke to him the news of his appointment as the new acting party leader.

“Oburu said he never campaigned to be made the party leader and was shocked to be informed of his appointment as the leader.

Mokuongo nyocha ok atimo campaign mondo chama oketa mondo abed kaka party leader. An Chieng no bende ema oyudo ka jakom ne onindo. Ndege bende oor gi Odhiambo odhi ome to ndege no bende kiny duogo gokinyi (Firstly, I never campaigned to be made the party leader.. That was the day Raila died. A plane had been scheduled to go and bring his body at home)”

Koro saa mane wadhi e airport ne awinjo ni party national executive committee ne romo. To saa apar ga ariyo ma okinyi eka gibiro e airport (On the day of the body arrival, I went to the Airport but I had the party national executive council (NEC) was meeting at 6.00am)

Koro an ka adhi e pap to junet ema openja nip ok iyudo wach ni in e party ? apenje ni party leader nade? Party leader abedo nade. Wach ni ne obuoga. Ne ok angeyo. Okona ni gino ne okadhe nec unanimously ma onge ngama oppingo. Kendo ni governor ma Mombsaa ema ne o proposa (I went to the Airport and Junet came and asked me : Are you aware you have been made the party leader? I shocked and I didn’t know. He told me I was unanimously appointed. That I was proposed by the Mombasa Governor Abdulsammad Nassir)

Apenjo junet to into iparo nade. Okona ni en achiel kuom joms noitiere bura mane okadho gino (I asked Junet about his feelings on the same and he told me he was among the people present at the meeting who voted to appoint me)”

Suba South MP Caroli Omondi gave an insight of what could be happening in the party and the emergence of a mysterious hand pulling shots 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 controls from somewhere else,” he said

Betrayal at the Airport and Stadia

Sifuna said chaos witnessed at the Airport and Kasarani international stadium were as a result of absence of party leadership and availability of public address system at the facilities.

“I was angry at Nyayo stadium that Baba even when he was the prime minister, there used to be fight about him getting police escort and suddenly we have these police outriders in front of his casket, which should have been his tour of inauguration when he was going around the stadium.
Things that were denied to Raila during his life time. I was totally hungry that they blacked out his party colors at the Nyayo stadium.
I was very angry that they didn’t even mention his political party and because we used to drape people coffins in party colors and they did not allow us to drape his coffin in party colors.
I feel the state mismanaged the arrival of the body at the airport, if there was a public address system outside the airport and the leadership of the party were there to calm the people down, we couldn’t have witnessed such scenes, because members of the party want to see familiar faces in those times,” he said.

By Anderson Ojwang

Despite the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) of President William Ruto attracting a historic turnout by aspirants, the State House forum acted as a wake-up call to the President.

UDA made history as the first political party in the multi-party era to attract the highest number of aspirants, 12,353, but the data portrays a worrying reality for the President ahead of the 2027 general election.

President Ruto could be enjoying the bragging right of his party attracting thousands of aspirants nationally, but the reality check is that all is not well in the den and he must act to change the emerging narrative.

Mt Kenya, which was the determinant and a springboard to Ruto’s victory in the 2022 presidential election, seems to have walked away from the marriage and could be seeking new suitors.

The impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua as Ruto’s deputy and the subsequent replacement by Prof Kithure Kindiki has radically changed the allegiance and shifted political loyalty.

From the statistics, Rift Valley attracted the greatest number of aspirants, standing at 5,308, while Central Kenya recorded 1,130, Western Kenya 1,200 and Nyanza stood at 1,095.

The Coastal region stood at 586, while Nairobi received 968 aspirants who registered and attended the meeting at State House. North Eastern stood at 586, while Eastern was at 1,479.

Rift Valley, the bedrock

Rift Valley is the President’s political backyard and UDA is the dominant political party in the region. In the last general election, all the counties in Rift Valley, predominantly Kalenjin-speaking counties, overwhelmingly voted for President Ruto.

The UDA wave left several political casualties in the region, including KANU chairman Gideon Moi, who lost the Baringo senatorial election.

The UDA dominance in the region has precipitated defections into the party by bigwigs from the region, including former Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto, among others.

The predominantly Kalenjin-speaking counties had the highest number of gubernatorial aspirants, while the cosmopolitan counties in the Rift Valley had few or even no aspirants.

Kericho County attracted 13 gubernatorial aspirants, while Baringo had 16, Bomet attracted three, Nandi had 10, Uasin Gishu six and Elgeyo Marakwet attracted 10.

Cosmopolitan counties such as Kajiado attracted one, Laikipia none, Nakuru three, Narok four, and Nyandarua attracted nil.

President Ruto’s political backyard of Rift Valley, for the moment, is solid and safe, and he will harvest similar votes to those he did in the last general elections.

Mt Kenya, diminishing fortunes

The restive Mt Kenya region has refused to calm down and continues to rebel against President Ruto, whom they overwhelmingly voted for in the 2022 presidential election.

The combined force of former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Gachagua is causing a political coup in the region against President Ruto and his deputy, Prof Kithure Kindiki.

In Kiambu County, only three aspirants have expressed interest in the governor seat, while in Kirinyaga and Nyeri only one aspirant has shown interest respectively, while in Murang’a none has shown interest.

Top guns in UDA from the region gave the forum a wide berth, a move which left tongues wagging and several questions emerging.

Nyanza, the hunting ground

Nyanza, which is the bedrock of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) of the late Raila Odinga, for the first time attracted aspirants from the region hoping to run on a UDA ticket.

However, in Kisumu County, the heart of Nyanza politics, the seat of governor did not attract any candidate, while in Homa Bay it attracted political minnows Odoyo Owidi and Mark Matunga.

In Migori, the post of governor attracted four aspirants, while in Siaya it attracted two, and in Kisii and Nyamira it attracted one and two aspirants respectively.

Currently, President Ruto and ODM party leader Dr Oburu Oginga are working on a pre-election pact ahead of the next general election. Recently, Oburu declared that ODM would not demand the post of Deputy President.

However, the pact is facing opposition from a section of leaders in ODM and the region, who have termed it premature.

Western region

Western Kenya was pivotal in President Ruto’s victory and entered into a political coalition with Musalia Mudavadi of the Amani Party and Moses Wetangula of Ford-K. Mudavadi was appointed Prime Cabinet Secretary, while Wetangula became the Speaker of the National Assembly.

Mudavadi dissolved his Amani Party to join UDA, but the court recently overruled the dissolution and the merger with UDA.

Kakamega County attracted three gubernatorial aspirants, while Vihiga attracted one, Bungoma four and Busia nil. Ruto is hoping to build his re-election momentum from Western Kenya and Nyanza, which explains his heavy investment in the two regions.

Eastern region

This is likely to be the battleground, as it is the political bedrock of Azimio La Umoja party leader Kalonzo Musyoka.

Similarly, it is the home ground of Deputy President Kindiki. It is set to be a battleground.

Kitui County attracted three aspirants for the gubernatorial seat, Makueni two, Machakos none, while Tharaka Nithi attracted two, Meru one and Embu did not attract any gubernatorial aspirant.

North Eastern

Garissa attracted one gubernatorial aspirant, while Wajir attracted four, Mandera attracted six aspirants and Marsabit three. This shows the growing appeal of President Ruto in the region.

By Anderson Ojwang

After the recent declaration by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, Dr Oburu Oginga, that his party was not eyeing the deputy president slot in the pre-election pact, President William Ruto has moved to declare his confidence in his deputy, Prof Kithure Kindiki.

Speaking at the UDA Aspirant Forum, President Ruto declared that Kindiki was an able assistant and that he has confidence in his leadership and fits the bill.

“Huyu Naibu wa Rais, Abraham Kithure Kindiki, anatosha ama hatoshi? Ni fire si fire? You know, at one time, I was Uhuru Kenyatta’s deputy.
The work this gentleman is doing is what I did when I was the deputy to President Uhuru Kenyatta. That is the truth. I am happy that currently, I have a principal assistant who knows his duties and role.
Allow me to ask, if it was that other former deputy, could he have the brains to understand his role like Kindiki does? Now you know, my work has been lessened. I have an assistant who understands the government,” he said.

On Monday, in Kisumu, Oburu said before President Ruto and his deputy, Prof Abraham Kithure Kindiki, that ODM was not eyeing the deputy president slot.

Oburu said, “Deputy President, do not think we want your seat and that we want to chase you away. No. Please, you are our friend, but as we negotiate, we are going to negotiate what our people deserve and what our party deserves.
ODM is not a Luo party, but it is a national party. We will negotiate fairly. We are not going to take anybody’s share. Everybody will get their fair share,” he said.

Last year, in a TV interview, Oburu had declared that ODM would demand the deputy presidency in the coalition arrangement.

Oburu said then that ODM would not accept any position lower than that of Deputy President in any pre-election coalition ahead of the 2027 General Election.

He maintained that the party would only negotiate for top positions from a position of strength and not desperation.

“If we have to go for a lower position, it must not be lower than number two (Deputy President) in any formation. That is my take. We should not take less than that,” he said.

Oginga said ODM’s priority is to rebuild and unite its grassroots base to retain influence in national politics.

“I want my people of ODM to strengthen ODM as a party. If we are going to start talking about the position we will occupy there, we will get nothing,” he said.

“Nobody will respect you or negotiate with you if you are a weak party. Our emphasis is on strengthening ODM so that we can negotiate for the top position in the land.”

Oburu, on Monday, said he would be leading ODM during the negotiations and promised to lead the party to Canaan through Singapore.

“I am leading ODM. When you follow flies, it will take you to the pit latrine, and when you follow bees, you will get to the honey.
We are in talks with UDA. We are going to make sure that we have more than what we have currently.
We will start talking. With UDA, some people are saying we are in a hurry. We are not in a hurry. The election is next year. We must prepare in advance. I want to tell you that I will take you to Canaan through Singapore.”

A section of ODM leaders from the Coastal region, during Raila Odinga’s posthumous birthday, declared that their irreducible minimum was the slot of Deputy President in 2027 in exchange for supporting President Ruto.

The leaders proposed Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho for the Deputy President post.

During a recent ODM Linda Ground meeting in Kisumu, Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo told Oburu that, as the party leader of ODM, he could not double up as the lead negotiator in the ODM–President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) pre-election coalition pact.

“Mokuongo amor. Chieng kacha an ema ne awacho ni structured negotiations. Sani Daktari ka itelonwa, joma obiro ka, oyie ni nyaka wadhi e structured negotiations. To nyaka wadhiye
(At the beginning, it was me who spoke about structured dialogue. Currently, Dr Oburu, you are our leader. Everyone in attendance agrees that we must have structured negotiations).

Ka iwacho ni structured negotiation, ok ochuno ni ipingo. Matiende ni wa gin lemo moko. Wadwaro ni wan bende omedwa lemo
(If we talk about structured negotiations, it does not mean we are against the talks. We are demanding more slots).

Daktari saa ma wadhi e structured negotiations, in kik ibed mbele bed chien. In ja telo. Thuonu ok bed mbele. Wasigu nyalo nege
(Dr Oburu, now we are heading into structured negotiations. You should not lead the talks. You are our leader and you cannot be at the front. You could be killed and we would remain without a leader).

Ibed ki ji ma kisungu luongo ni the first right of acceptance and the first right of refusal
(You must have what they call the first right of acceptance and the first right of refusal).

Ka dhi maber to iwacho ni ayie. Ka dhi marach to iwacho ni adagi. Wan ema itiyo kodwa. Wan e foot soldiers. Jowa mantie gi are foot soldiers. Kata onegwa onge rach tek ni thuonwa to pod ngima
(If it is right, you accept, and if it is wrong, you refuse. Use your foot soldiers. Even if the foot soldiers are killed, that is normal, provided the leader remains safe),” he said.

Reviving Azimio Is a Breath of Fresh air for Babu and Sifuna

The revival of the Azimio Coalition Party is not a matter of nostalgia. It is a political necessity, especially for Edwin Sifuna, Babu Owino and a growing list of ODM rebels including Kibagendi, Osotsi and others whose political relevance is increasingly under threat within a drifting ODM.

Without Azimio, these leaders remain trapped in an internal party rebellion with no national ladder to climb. With Azimio, they immediately regain altitude, visibility and bargaining power at the highest level of national politics. That is the brutal reality.

There is nothing preventing the Azimio Chairman from formally elevating Sifuna, Winnie Odinga and Babu Owino as Deputy Party Leaders under Kalonzo Musyoka. ODM is the largest shareholder in Azimio and must stop behaving like a tenant in a house it helped build. Power within coalitions is never begged for, it is asserted.

Azimio remains the only opposition vehicle with true national appeal. It sells across regions without apology or ethnic confinement. More importantly, it is the only legitimate platform through which the Raila Odinga political inheritance can be claimed. The Azimio symbol, the iconic “R”, is inseparable from Raila Odinga’s final presidential run. That brand equity did not vanish with his retirement from active contestation.

For the first time, Azimio can mount a serious six piece assault countrywide. This coalition of over twenty political parties is not a ceremonial outfit. Properly retooled, it has the numbers, structures and history to redraw the political map in ways deeply uncomfortable for William Ruto.

Azimio inherits nationwide structures that Ruto’s regime has failed to neutralise. These networks only require minimal oiling to roar back to life. Anyone dismissing this advantage misunderstands the long game of Kenyan politics. Uhuru Kenyatta’s strategic genius in constructing this political architecture remains one of the most consequential interventions in recent history.

The direction forward is also becoming clearer. With Kalonzo Musyoka as Coalition Leader, the path to him becoming the 2027 presidential candidate is almost inevitable. A ticket anchored by Kalonzo and reinforced by figures such as Wycliffe Oparanya or George Natembeya would be a hard, disciplined and nationally balanced force.

The choice before ODM rebels is simple. Continue fighting internal battles with diminishing returns, or seize Azimio and reposition themselves at the centre of national power. Politics rewards the bold, not the loyal.