By Billy Mijungu
Winnie Odinga has stirred the hornets’ nest in ODM. Her bold remark that “the ODM–UDA relationship is complicated, and ODM should hold a National Delegates Conference to elect the party leader” has generated intense debate both inside and outside the party. If her comment was a strategic political move to energise the base, then it is timely and effective. But if it was a genuine call for an elective NDC, then it introduces unnecessary risks that ODM has previously avoided. Historically, even ODM itself has preferred NDCs that ratify proposals from the National Governing Council rather than open elections with unpredictable outcomes. That caution has always been rooted in the need to preserve stability.
Yet, counterintuitively, the current leadership jostling could become the catalyst that unites ODM. From the outside, the party appears desperate or troubled, but in reality, ODM remains one of the most organised and admired political machines in the country. What ODM has failed to fully appreciate is how much respect it commands even from its competitors. Many see ODM as a disciplined, deeply rooted and well-structured party with leaders who are prepared, articulate and ready to govern. It is therefore perplexing that the party is so fixated on coalition-building when, on its own, it remains capable of running and winning outright in 2027. Raila Odinga may have leaned on coalitions due to political fatigue accumulated over decades, but the younger, energetic and ambitious generation within ODM does not carry that burden.
The wider political dance also reveals an interesting and often overlooked alignment. ODM does not like the Deputy Chief Prime Minister or Gachagua, but it does like Kalonzo. Gachagua, on his part, does not like ODM, yet he quietly admires the party’s structure and also likes Kalonzo. This creates a rare political convergence. Both ODM and the DCP camp could support Kalonzo unconditionally, simply because both sides already trust him and see him as a stabilising figure. Surprisingly, Kalonzo’s own strategists have not fully realised that he is the most acceptable compromise candidate for both formations. Instead of seizing this natural advantage, they have allowed fear, hesitation and political overthinking to cloud their path.
A Kalonzo candidacy, paired with a strong deputy like Natembeya, could fundamentally reshape the national political equation and create a bridge between rival blocs. The opportunity is clear, and the alignment is already there. It only requires courage to take it.
