The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) will officially exit the Azimio la Umoja coalition because they accuse former President Uhuru Kenyatta of making unauthorized leadership decisions without consulting coalition leaders. The development creates a major split in Kenya’s opposition system because ODM now seeks to establish itself as an independent political force in the changing political landscape.
Oburu Oginga told the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ODM party that Azimio decisions require ODM approval because the party represents the coalition’s core foundation. Oburu insisted that ODM had effectively left the coalition “a long time ago” and that the only remaining step is a formal exit—a process the party plans to complete imminently.
The crisis developed after Azimio leadership changes created new leadership roles through Kalonzo Musyoka’s appointment as coalition leader and the reallocation of major positions, which ODM claims took place without its permission. Oburu condemned these actions as outside forces that interrupted legitimate decision-making at the joint meeting that Uhuru chaired, thus violating established coalition protocols.
Oburu announced during the NEC meeting that the party had already exited the organization, but they needed to execute one final step, which they would complete shortly. He claimed that all recent leadership changes became invalid until ODM approved them because the party should determine all strategic decisions for Azimio.
The rift displays deeper opposition bloc tensions that already exist because some parties have rejected coalition decisions and requested legal explanations of Azimio’s current status following disputed leadership transitions. Azimio critics claim that the processes contained major faults because they failed to provide proper information, which will create conditions for upcoming legal disputes and organizational disintegration.
The opposition alliance would experience major changes if ODM officially left Azimio, which would make it harder to establish a common front against the current administration. The party leader announced that ODM will negotiate with partners while maintaining the right to compete in elections without partners if they fail to establish strategic agreements.
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