Wamuzi News Ke
Amidst an upsurge in political discord that no one saw coming, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has given its members a very clear notice that if they take part in the United Democratic Alliance’s (UDA) grassroots elections, which are already in progress, they will be expelled and their resignations will be forced upon them.
This ruling indicates that the already existing distrust among the political players in Kenya is becoming more profound just as the country is inching towards the crucial general elections in 2027.
Godfrey Osotsi, ODM’s Deputy Party Leader and Vihiga Senator, spoke out on January 8 about the issue that he considered an underhand move by UDA to lure ODM members to their side while at the same time allowing them to play a role in their internal elections.
Osotsi argues that a number of ODM elected officials, among them the Members of the County Assembly (MCAs), have been approached with the intention of getting them involved in UDA’s grassroots election drives. He described this as a move that directly contravenes both the Political Parties Act and the ODM constitution.
Osotsi commented, “This is a breach of party discipline and the law,” adding that any member of ODM involved in UDA would either have to resign or be subjected to the party’s sanctions. He pointed out the situation in Vihiga County, where an ODM-elected MCA is said to be facilitating UDA’s grassroots polls, which he declared to be a case of the party’s leadership allowing vaulting ambition to overshadow honesty and respect for Kenyan law.
The ODM officials have made a public statement to the effect that UDA has challenged them by way of a regional presidential caucus that supposedly consists of ODM members.
The party claims that the UDA’s actions have overflowed the existing government cooperation and have been done with the intent of destabilizing and absorbing its grassroots networks. The ODM spokespersons maintain that there is nothing in the current MoU between the two parties that speaks of joint grassroots or joint electoral strategies.
In Vihiga, the local ODM leaders have set the County Assembly Speaker’s impeachment proceeding as a target for their MCAs due to claims of the Speaker’s support with UDA; thus, intra-party conflict becomes more intensified.
The analysts are of the view that this confrontation reveals deep divisions within the parties and raises the issues of party loyalty, constitutional limits, and the future of political alliances during the 2027 elections.
ODM asserts that it continues to be an independent political entity and has called upon its members all over the country to take a stand against the UDA-led initiatives, which could further divide the party or infringe on the legal boundaries.
