The Orange Insurgency: Babu Owino and Catherine Omanyo Trade Blows Over ODM Leadership Control

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has officially entered a state of internal combustion as a fierce power struggle between Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo boils over. This is no longer a mere procedural disagreement; it is a high-stakes civil war for the throne of Kenya’s most storied opposition party as it prepares for a volatile post-Raila Odinga era.

The “twisted” reality behind this friction suggests a predatory shift within the party ranks. While the top leadership focuses on the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship, the mid-tier is engaged in what can only be described as “political cannibalism.”

Babu Owino, positioning himself as the vanguard of the youth insurgency, is demanding an immediate National Delegates Convention (NDC) to purge the “slow-moving” establishment. His rhetoric suggests that any delay is a deliberate attempt by the “old guard” to sabotage a generational takeover.

In a sharp and public rebuttal, Catherine Omanyo has emerged as the shield for the party’s institutional status quo. She has dismissed Owino’s aggressive push as an “ego-driven” disruption that threatens to dismantle the party’s foundation before a transition is even finalized.

The clash reveals a deep-seated paranoia: the fear that if the NDC isn’t held on specific, controlled terms, the party will be hijacked by populist insurgents who value personal branding over ideological loyalty.

This confrontation marks the end of the “consensus” era in ODM. The party is no longer a monolithic block following a single command; it is a fractured house where leaders are openly auditioning for leadership by attacking their colleagues.

The battle between the “Insurgent” and the “Gatekeeper” has moved from the boardroom to the public gallery, and there is no turning back. As the rhetoric sharpens, the message is clear: the transition will be bloody, public, and potentially fatal for the party’s unity. The orange house is on fire, and the residents are fighting over the keys instead of the extinguisher.