When Senator Oburu Odinga was temporarily appointed to take over the ODM party leadership, many Kenyans including me thought that was going to last a few days or maybe weeks and he will be out of there.
In the political field a good number of opposition leaders expected and were praying for an explosion of internal ODM wrangling which they expected to lead to the collapse of ODM as one of the few national parties in Kenya today in terms of the number of Governors, M.Ps, MCAs as well as the party growing national influence as they work with the broad based government under President Ruto.
Oburu Odinga has put all those dreaded thoughts of ODM breakup in the back seat. One thing with Oburu is that he completely refuses to engage in divisive politics. He has been very focused and has made it clear that ODM members will determine the direction of the party.
He has also refused to tag one group of MPs here and there as leaders who want the party to break into pieces. Not once has Oburu provided any negative headlines at this very critical moment for the party.
The good thing for ODM and Oburu himself is that Kenyans are going to judge them based on their agenda for developing the country as they work with the president and his UDA party in the next two years to the next general election. So far ODM and their partners are seeing a great deal of maturity in the party at a time when cool minds will seek a direction for ODM that meets its ideals for the country.
Oburu Odinga is a very quiet person in his general lifestyle which he also carries into his politics. I first met the senator at the Katiba Conference at BOMAS in 2003.
I was in the committee dealing with “executive” powers where Kenyans had indicated all across the country that they wanted executive power split between the president a prime minister. That was the agenda that got Mwai Kibaki elected as the new president in 2002 when Raila declared his “Kibaki Tosha” agenda and helped their coalition throw dictator Moi out of office.
At the Executive Committee it was a complete war because the Kibaki team was completely opposed to taking any executive powers from the presidency and that included important issues like how the cabinet is appointed because that had been misused all the time since Kenya won its independence as a country in 1963.
We had MPs in the committee whose job was to keep the status quo which Kenyans voted against when they kicked out Moi and his agents from holding the presidency. Oburu would just sit there and listen to all the noise and when he took the stage he was very clear that Kenyans spoke about the governing system they wanted at the 2002 polls.
There was chaos there, but Oburu was very quiet. Martin Shikuku who was against Kibaki’s plans to keep everything in governance as it was and he would walk all over the meeting space and blast other politicians directly in their faces asking them what they promised Kenyans about the new constitution during the elections.
Then of course Senator Otieno Kajwang’ was there in that committee and when things went crazy he would stand up and start roaring his “Bado Mapambano” song and everyone in the committee would just start dancing to Kajwang’s song and things got back to normal.
The Oburu Odinga Kenyans are seeing today as the ODM party leader is the one I saw in that Executive Committee at BOMAS. He was very effective and organized. He was not there for fights but wanted results that are good for Kenyans and I believe that is the man we are seeing today leading his party without fuss and drama.
According to latest media reports, The Orange Democratic Movement’s National Governing Council has officially approved Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga as the party’s leader.
The council also endorsed Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, Kisii Governor Simba Arati, and Vihiga Senator Geoffrey Osoti as deputy party leaders.
Vice chairpersons Ariko Namoit and Rarieda MP, Senior Counsel Otiende Amollo, were likewise approved.
Appointments for Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga as Deputy Organising Secretary and Kisumu West MP Rosa Buyu as Secretary of Political Affairs were also confirmed.
“They assume office subject to ratification by the National Delegates Convention (NDC). Congratulations to the new leaders,” ODM said in a statement.
Oburu, who jokingly refers to himself as the Gen Z leader, has been acting ODM party leader since October 16, following the death of his brother, Raila Odinga.
Raila died on October 15 from cardiac arrest while receiving treatment in India.
On October 27, the party’s Central Management Committee endorsed Oburu’s appointment as interim party leader.
Speaking on November 5 during the first Ecumenical Memorial service for Raila at the Raila Odinga stadium in Homa Bay county, Oburu pledged to hold the party firmly in unity.
“We must remain united and serve the interest of Kenyans,” he said, affirming that ODM would never exit the broad-based government and sit on the opposition side.
Oburu’s approval as party leader comes a day ahead of ODM’s 20th anniversary celebrations, scheduled to take place at the Mama Ngina Waterfront in Mombasa from November 14 to 16.
The celebrations were initially planned for October 10 to 12, but were rescheduled.
ODM said the shift to November was meant to allow more counties and supporters to participate, adding that the change was consistent with the party’s values of inclusivity, democracy, and wider outreach.
In a statement on November 10, Oburu said the milestone will honour two decades of political struggle, sacrifice and service to the Kenyan people.
He described the anniversary as a moment to reflect on the party’s journey and to celebrate the legacy of his late brother Raila, whose vision and courage shaped what he termed the modern democratic movement in Kenya.
“As we commemorate this landmark, we do so in honour of the indelible legacy of our departed Party Leader, the Rt Hon Raila Amolo Odinga, the father of modern democracy in Kenya, whose vision, courage and sacrifice built this movement,” he said.
And Winnie Odinga has set the tone and load of work ahead for ODM as they prepare for the 2027 elections.
Winnie Odinga: ODM was born from protest and raised in resistance
EALA MP Winnie Odinga at the ODM @20 celebrations in Mombasa on November 14, 2025
EALA MP Winnie Odinga has thanked supporters of the Orange Democratic Movement for standing with her family following the death of former party leader Raila Odinga.
Addressing ODM youth, women and supporters on Friday, she said the family continues to feel the weight of the loss and appreciated the sympathy expressed across the country.
“I would like to thank you for standing with my family when we lost Baba.. I know we can all feel the grief,” she said.
She acknowledged that the pain and ache of the loss of the man commonly referred to as Baba was felt by all his supporters.
“I know we have been stolen from. We are confused and sad, but today I want to thank the youth of ODM. I have received your messages of condolence, and from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much,” she said.
“ODM has been the heartbeat of the Kenyan people for 20 years,” she said.
Winnie also acknowledged the support of ODM women, saying they encouraged her to address the youth.
“ODM was born from protest, raised in resistance, and it still belongs to the people,” she told thousands of supporters gathered for the anniversary event as she described ODM as a vessel of national struggle.
And for the love of God’ if Edwin Sifuna wants to run for the presidency in 2027 he is free do so if ODM nominates him as their candidate or he can run for the presidency as the candidate for the United Opposition who must be thrilled with Sifuna’s tone of ODM leaders going after each other in the media and dismissing ODM members as clueless. Good Luck with being United Opposition presidential candidate because they need somebody as long as he or she can embrace Rigathi Gachagua from head to toe 24 hours a day.
Bringing angry words and belittling ODM members and their party as a whole is not the way for anyone to run for the presidency in 2027. This is the kind of infighting noise that ODM political enemies love to hear from the ODM leadership and it has been missing but it looks like Senator Sifuna is desperate to have that infighting within ODM as big part of the party after Raila is gone and one has to wonder who that will serve because definitely political heckling is of no use or value to ODM at this point.
Sifuna berates ODM members for being reduced to beggars
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General and Nairobi Senator has stated that most ODM members have been reduced to beggars.
While speaking during the ODM at the 20th anniversary youth celebration, he expressed his frustration over how a once vibrant party has been taken to such a level that its members now have to depend on others.
According to Sifuna, the party has been reduced to a level where, even now, there is nobody within the party poised to vie for the presidency; they can only support other people or parties for the presidency to be won.
Right now the presidential candidate business is of no value to ODM and fighting about that is just a waste of time for many Kenyans. Building the party is the big agenda on the table for ODM.
Kenyans would be happy if ODM was to launch a nationwide rallying effort to get Kenyans, particularly our Genz Z population to go and register as voters because that is going on and people are not showing up as expected. Those are the kind of things ODM can focus on at this time going forward and when that presidential candidate comes up you can talk when you have the votes.
