The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party’s Central Committee meeting, convened today to address internal rifts and chart a path on how to engage President William Ruto ahead of the 2027 General Election, promises to be a defining moment for the party’s future.
Sources told Top News that the key agenda of the meeting is to deliberate on a possible coalition agreement with President Ruto and his allies ahead of the 2027 polls.
However, the most contentious issue expected to dominate discussions is the question of party unity and whether members can remain cohesive despite growing personal ambitions.
POTENTIALLY CHARGED
It is understood that efforts to persuade ODM Party Leader Oburu Odinga to postpone the potentially charged meeting were unsuccessful. Oburu was reportedly angered by a meeting held last week involving Siaya Governor James Orengo, Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga, and former Busia Governor Amos Wako.
During that private meeting, MP Babu Owino reportedly signalled his readiness to lead the party, remarks that are said to have enraged Oburu.
Suba North MP and National Assembly Minority Whip Millie Odhiambo is also understood to have unsuccessfully appealed to Oburu to defer the Central Committee meeting.
“Millie Odhiambo approached Dr Oburu to postpone the Central Committee meeting and allow members to develop common ground for the party and contain any fallout. But an unhappy and enraged Oburu did not heed the peace call,” a source told Top News.
CONCILIATORY MOVE
In what is seen as a conciliatory move, ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga on Saturday met former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s wife, Ida Odinga, in talks believed to be aimed at healing divisions within the party. The meeting reportedly lasted over two hours.
Speaking on Friday in Alego, Oburu said the party would soon establish a committee to spearhead coalition negotiations with President Ruto’s UDA party.
He said ODM would form a team to negotiate the terms of a new coalition alliance, adding that President Ruto would be given first preference.
“As we approach 2027, we are not going to get into government through the back door. We are going to have a negotiated arrangement, which will be headed by me. It will not be easy, but it will be a tough negotiation. We will get our share. 2026 is the year of negotiations for any arrangements,” Oburu said.
According to him, ODM will soon constitute a negotiation team.
PARTY CONSTITUTION
“We will start negotiating with others because it is difficult for a party to go it alone without seeking the support of other parties. The negotiations will begin with our current partners in the broad-based arrangement. We shall only go to others if we do not agree,” he added.
Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi urged Oburu to invoke the party constitution to formally convene a meeting to elect a team to lead the coalition talks.
“As the duly elected ODM party leader with all the powers conferred on you under the ODM Constitution, I want you, Oburu, to invoke Article 16, Sub-Article 1(f) of the ODM Constitution and embark on serious negotiations on behalf of ODM with President William Ruto and the UDA for purposes of developing a pre-election coalition agreement,” Wandayi said.
Oburu explained that the party could not afford to wait until 2027 to begin planning for the elections, noting that negotiations must start now and that the party constitution vests that mandate in him.
“That mandate is not shared with anybody else under the Act, and as we proceed with these engagements, we must take into account the time factor,” he said.
SPLIT IN ODM
The developments come amid claims by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who accused President Ruto of orchestrating efforts to split ODM.
Speaking on January 11 in Gatundu South, Kiambu County, where he attended a church service, Gachagua alleged that the President was working to undermine ODM, one of the country’s most popular parties over the past two decades.
He claimed that Ruto had sent Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho to demand the party leadership position and, upon rejection, to form a new party at the Coast—an ODM stronghold.
Gachagua further alleged that similar instructions were given to Co-operatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya as part of a broader strategy to divide the party.
“He has decided to divide and finish ODM. He has instructed Joho and Oparanya to demand being party leaders. If they are not made party leaders, they should start their own parties. Ruto wants to make ODM a Luo party,” Gachagua claimed.
The former Deputy President, however, dismissed claims linking former President Uhuru Kenyatta to ODM’s internal struggles, saying Kenyatta deserved respect and should not be attacked.
BLAME GAME
He accused President Ruto of using ODM members to attack Kenyatta and vowed to oppose such efforts.
“Uhuru Kenyatta tried to help Raila become president, but ODM supporters failed to turn out and vote. Uhuru is not the problem of ODM. Do not be used by Ruto to attack Uhuru,” Gachagua said.
His remarks come amid ongoing blame games within ODM over party leadership disputes and the party’s loss in the 2022 General Election.
