By Anderson Ojwang

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) will hold its National Delegates Conference (NDC) to decide any future political alliance ahead of the 2027 General Elections.

The party’s Secretary General, Mr Edwin Sifuna, said ODM is a national party with membership across the country and that the grave matter of determining a coalition rests with the National Delegates Conference.

Sifuna also said the NDC is the only organ mandated with disciplining and expelling the Secretary General of the party.

“ODM is a national party with Luhya, Mijikenda, Somali, among other communities, and it is not personal property. Any discussions made about the party must be made through talks with ODM members.
We will have the National Delegates Conference to decide the future coalition arrangements of the party or to present a presidential candidate in the 2027 elections,” he said.

Sifuna claimed the party leader, Dr Oburu Odinga, was being misled by a section of party officials who want to auction the party to President Ruto.

Sifuna asked Oburu to adopt the late party leader Raila Odinga’s virtue of consultation in order to be abreast with emerging trends.

“Some people are lying to our party leader, Dr Oburu Odinga. Raila consulted. Even old women in the villages would call Raila directly and he listened to them. This is what made Raila a great leader,” he said.

Sifuna said they had smoked out some of the party officials who were plotting to sell the party to President Ruto and that they would not allow that to happen.

“Some of us have been going for secret meetings in Kilgoris to auction the party to William Ruto, and we smoked them out.
Now they have turned around to claim we want to sell the party to Uhuru Kenyatta. In Nairobi streets, a thief can steal from you and when you shout, he turns around and starts beating you, claiming you are the thief,” he said.

Sifuna said President Ruto does not owe ODM anything except the full implementation of the 10-point accord he signed with the late Raila Odinga.

“Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, I kindly request you to tell President Ruto that he does not owe ODM anything but the full implementation of the 10-point agenda he signed with Raila,” he said.

But over the weekend, Oburu said the party had embarked on fresh negotiations with President Ruto over a new political arrangement and that ODM would support his second-term election.

“My people, I am telling you 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 opposition,” he said.

During the ODM celebrations in Mombasa, Winnie Odinga called for the 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 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 looking and wondering whether those who are taking upon themselves to manage it now are capable of managing that relationship.
I do not think that is a question for me to answer. That is a question for the people of ODM to answer. That is why, party leader, I am requesting that we need to go back to the people and have an NDC to see who the people want to pick to manage that same relationship,” she said.

ODM Director of Elections Junet Mohammed, speaking over the weekend, claimed Uhuru was enticing some of the ODM leaders with financial support to revitalise the party in order to join the united opposition.

“If you want to be party leader, go and form your party. There are people who want to take over our party. There are people who are being paid by former President Uhuru Kenyatta. We want to tell them, if they think Dr Oburu has no ability, we are his foot soldiers and we will fight to the bitter end,” he claimed.

Junet promised that 2026 would be an all-out battle and that there would be premium tears, and that they would not be scared by cheap threats.

“Call us brokers, call us thieves, we are not leaving the broad-based government. It is you who is going to leave ODM. Uhuru Kenyatta failed to make Raila president despite having the instruments of power,” he said.

He said it was only the party leader, Dr Oburu, who is mandated by the constitution to run for the presidency.

“There are some within ODM who say that ODM must have a presidential candidate. The constitution says the presidential candidate is the party leader. Dr Oburu is the one who will tell us if he wants to be the presidential candidate or not. This is not a party of drunkards,” he said.

Siaya Governor James Orengo said he recognises Sifuna as the party spokesperson and Geoffrey Osotsi as the Deputy Party Leader.

By Anderson Ojwang

In an elaborate and well-calculated move, the civil war in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) could be designed to make it a regional party and basically a Luo party.

And hardly even 90 days before the immediate former party leader Raila Amolo Odinga was buried, allegations of plots to auction his party have emerged.

One camp, led by Siaya Governor James Orengo, claims that a section of the party leadership had been paid to sell out the party and claims he has documentary evidence to that effect.

While the other camp, led by Party Director of Elections Junet Mohammed, claimed there was a plot to auction the party to former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

On Sunday, Orengo said there was a scheme meant to devalue the party from a national outfit and regionalise it as a Nyanza party.

Orengo said that while other ODM strongholds have remained quiet, the civil war was being waged in Nyanza and specifically by the Luo.

“I see an attempt to try and drive ODM to become purely regional, if not a Luo party. The elements of the party from other regions are fairly quiet when we have this civil war within the party,” he said.

Orengo, during a TV interview on Monday night, said the move was meant to muzzle ODM and make it a small or marginal party in a probable alliance with UDA or Kenya Kwanza.

“When you do that analysis and when we choose to work with Kenya Kwanza or UDA, most likely ODM is going to be a small party if they push that into Luo Nyanza basically.
We must be very conscious of that effort, and you can see some pronouncements which make ODM look like a regional party, but it is a national party,” he said.

Orengo warned that if the party leaders were not careful, they may be driven in that direction of ODM becoming a regional party.

In the recent survey by InfoTrack on political party popularity, ODM came second at 19 per cent, behind the ruling party UDA of President William Ruto at 23 per cent.

Jubilee Party of former President Uhuru Kenyatta and DCP of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua tied at five per cent respectively, while Wiper Party of Kalonzo Musyoka stood at four per cent.

Orengo maintained that the plot to auction ODM was real, saying, “For the moment they remain unnamed, but it is quite clear out there that there are people going out of their way to try to get the ODM party into an arrangement that does not make sense.
Before getting into a coalition, it is important to take an audit and put down matters that need to be addressed before you get into the arrangement,” he said.

But Junet, speaking over the weekend, claimed Uhuru was enticing some of the ODM leaders with financial support to revitalise the party in order to join the united opposition.

“If you want to be party leader, go and form your party. There are people who want to take over our party. There are people who are being paid by former President Uhuru Kenyatta. We want to tell them, if they think Dr Oburu has no ability, we are his foot soldiers and we will fight to the bitter end,” he claimed.

Junet promised that 2026 would be an all-out battle and that there would be premium tears, and that they would not be scared by cheap threats.

“Call us brokers, call us thieves, we are not leaving the broad-based government. It is you who is going to leave ODM. Uhuru Kenyatta failed to make Raila president despite having the instruments of power,” he said.

He said it was only the party leader, Dr Oburu, who is mandated by the constitution to run for the presidency.

“There are some within ODM who say that ODM must have a presidential candidate. The constitution says the presidential candidate is the party leader. Dr Oburu is the one who will tell us if he wants to be the presidential candidate or not. This is not a party of drunkards,” he said.

Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga said it was wrong for some party leaders to say that the party would not field candidates in all positions and that ODM should field a presidential candidate.

“We want to have a stronger ODM, and there is no political party that can stand up and say they are not going to field candidates in any of the vacant positions. As for me, ODM will be strong; even me, Adhiambo, I will want to become president. Why don’t you allow me to go as the party presidential candidate?” she said.

Saboti MP Caleb Amisi, on his X handle, wrote, “ODM has approximately seven million members. We have seen members of the Central Management Committee publicly announcing the sale of the party.
One team was dispatched to Ruto’s Kilgoris home on Friday the 26th, and the other team to Uhuru.
As bona fide members, we request the two teams to do their maths well in their negotiations and appropriate the funds to all the 47 branches across the country.”

By Anderson Ojwang

Despite Embakasi East MP Babu Owino having declared interest in the Nairobi gubernatorial seat, his star is on a steady rise and he is emerging as one of the key and significant players in the 2027 presidential election.

Babu is not only emerging as the probable heir apparent to the late Raila Amolo Odinga’s political constituency, but he is becoming one of the preferred and significant presidential candidates in the 2027 General Elections.

However, the poll presents President William Ruto and the opposition with a headache on how to wriggle to victory, with each team having the opportunity to run away with the mantle.

The Infotrak Poll released on December 28, 2025, paints a bright future for the alumnus of Kisumu Boys High School and former student leader at the University of Nairobi.

In the poll on the perceived successors to the late Raila Odinga, Babu topped with 33 per cent and was followed by the new ODM leader, Dr Oburu Odinga, who stands at 10 per cent.

Babu, with a whopping difference of 23 per cent over his immediate followers, speaks of the emerging political dispensation and realignment in the Luo community after Raila’s demise.

Similarly, the emerging political pact between Babu and Raila’s youngest daughter, Winnie Odinga, could be unsettling the status quo and aiding youthful leaders to run away with the crown.

ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga came third with seven per cent, while James Orengo was fourth at four per cent. Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi and Permanent Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo also garnered two per cent each. Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o, Miguna Miguna, Winnie Odinga, and Ochilo Ayako stood at one per cent each.

The undecided stood at 37 per cent and are likely to be swayed by emerging political formations in the country.

Interestingly, two major camps have already emerged in Nyanza, with one supporting the broad-based arrangement and revolving around Oburu, Wanga, Wandayi, Omollo, Mbadi, and Ayako. From this camp, if they unite behind one candidate to be the heir apparent to Raila, the total percentage they can garner in the pursuit is 23 per cent, still 10 per cent behind Babu.

Interestingly, the other wing is composed of Orengo and Babu, while Winnie has shown preference for the Embakasi MP, giving them a combined total of 38 per cent.

Nyong’o and Miguna have not stated their political leanings and may join the list of the undecided.

For Raila’s political constituency, Babu is outstretching his competitors and may be the person heading into 2026 as the significant player ahead of the 2027 General Elections.

For the first time in the presidential category, Babu has perfectly fitted into the void left behind by Raila and now emerges as one of the players at the presidential table.

In the poll, President William Ruto emerged at the top with 28 per cent, a gap which could be worrying to his supporters should the opposition front a joint presidential candidate.

Former Internal Security Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i came second with 13 per cent, while Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka came third with 12 per cent.

Of significance was the emergence of Babu, who came fourth with seven per cent and upstaged DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua, who received five per cent.

Martha Karua and former Chief Justice David Maraga scored two per cent each.

Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga polled one per cent, the same as her Trans Nzoia counterpart, George Natembeya.

The undecided were ranked at 25 per cent, while four per cent preferred not to state their preferred candidate.

In the polling, Wanga is the only ally to President Ruto, and her emergence in the ranking is a positive for the President in his pursuit of a second term.

For the opposition, a united joint presidential candidate would cause President Ruto a nightmare and would give them 42.5 per cent, 8.0 per cent short of victory.

For President Ruto, having only Wanga as an ally leaves him at 29 per cent, requiring 21.1 per cent to secure a second term.

This complex political situation presents both the President and the opposition with an uphill task of strategising on a working arrangement to win the presidency.

For Ruto, he may opt to apply the script of former President Daniel arap Moi that gave him victory during the first multi-party election and the subsequent election.

For the joint opposition, they may have to evoke the late Raila Amolo Odinga’s famous quote of Kibaki Tosha to ride to victory or perish.

For Babu, he has to go back to the drawing board and avoid rushed political decisions to be on the winning team.