The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) openly struggled with a crisis this week whereby Winnie Odinga took a very strong comeback to the political scene, thus, increasing the internal division that led to the senator Oburu Oginga being forced to attend two controversial party meetings under a heavy pressure from the opposite factions.
The informants at the meeting which took place in Kakamega County after the death of Raila Odinga described a very turbulent consultative forum where the delegates divided themselves into the two opposing groups thereby showing the growing distrust about the party’s way and the leadership.
Oburu, who is the ODM leader at present, found himself in a situation of having to choose between calls for unity and resistance from those who suspected the decision-making process was going in an uncommunicative way.
Winnie Odinga, the child of the party’s deceased founding CEO Raila Odinga, faced the top management of the party during a rally at Kamukunji Grounds in Kibera and heavily criticized those she accused of neglecting the local community’s voices and promoting hidden political agendas in preparation for the 2027 General Election.
Her statements not only criticized the party’s identity but also cautioned that ODM should not be controlled by “sellouts” and that leaders should be appointed through a process of including all stakeholders thus reflecting the party’s historical values.
During the Kakamega meeting, the participants disclosed an environment filled with increasing stress as Oburu was compelled to lead two gatherings with opposing policy positions, thereby revealing the divisions regarding the themes of cooperation with the national political blocs and the core ODM values.
Critics argue that the present attitude of the leadership is, in fact, a strategy to make the die-hard supporters feel neglected and, at the same time, gradually deplete the party’s ground support acquired through electoral negotiations which are very crucial.
Political analysts are on the alert that the entire scenario — beginning with Winnie’s noisy return, followed by her settling in for the long-drawn-out sessions that were the extension of Oburu’s conflict with the party — is a sign of more than just a normal disagreement.
It instead denotes a crisis for ODM in terms of unity and strategy as the country is about to face a major election cycle that will be a turning point in the political landscape of Kenya. The situation in the party is so volatile that the outcome of the power struggle that is taking place internally will be a big question mark in terms of the party’s future direction.
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