Wamuzi News Ke
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is going through a very difficult time as the number of the party’s MPs, who are vocally asking the aged leader Oburu Oginga to get involved and stop the disputes between Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, Junet Mohamed, Babu Owino, and Alfred Keter Alai, is increasing.
The discord among the legislators indicates the most severe internal strife of the party that has come about since the party’s devastating loss in the elections of 2022. Anonymous sources among the MPs reported that the continuing disagreements might lead to a split of the party at the time of the crucial 2027 general elections.
At the root of the issue are the accusations that main players are doing the opposite to each other, and as a result, there is a complete trust crisis in the management of the party. Sifuna’s role as secretary general has become more and more contested, with his critics claiming he is making major decisions on his own without consulting the party members.
To this, more than a dozen MPs are also demanding Oburu, who is considered a unifying figure in the party, intervene and facilitate the dialogue before the situation worsens and becomes irreversible.
The conflict between Sifuna and the other lawmakers, Junet Mohamed and Babu Owino, has become more serious lately. Owino has openly questioned Sifuna’s way of leading, blaming him for leaving out important legislators and not paying attention to the concerns of the people.
Junet, on the other hand, has expressed disappointment over the party’s lack of unity, which he believes was one of the key factors that made ODM weak in the last elections.
Keter Alai, who is another strong contender in ODM’s future, has not stayed away from the quarrel, accusing the top leadership of applying party rules selectively and threatening to take the matter to the central committee if no solution is found.
The veteran lawmakers are worried that the ongoing public clashes may drive the party out of favor with important voter groups. Some analysts think that through the infighting, the rival parties might be able to create the divisions that would be easy for them to occupy as Kenya proceeds towards 2027.
Oburu’s possible mediation is viewed as a last resort for stabilizing the situation. The MPs in his circle say that the party elders are now considering options to hold an extraordinary meeting that will focus on enacting immediate conflict resolution mechanisms.
Events have reached a boiling point, and there is still no clear way to reconcile. ODM has reached a political junction—its future unity is reliant on fast, bold moves at the highest level.
