Odungi Randa was elected as the Chairman of the Luo Council of Elders and was sworn into office on December 22, 2023 at Ofafa Memorial Hall in Kisumu.
“Today I’ve found something huge that even me I can command Raila son of Odinga. I take oath that the powers you’ve given me I will use them to serve you. I will not be a corrupt man or someone who is bought. If I was somebody who can be bought, then it would have happened 30 years ago,” he said amid cheers.
Today in a public address to those who elected him and to the whole country Odungi Randa was very positive on the way going forward for the community and for their political involvement and work to help build the country they love dearly.
Odungi Randa, made a strong appeal for unity within the Luo community. He emphasized the importance of unity in preserving the Luo culture and identity. Randa urged Luo elders to work together, regardless of political affiliations, to ensure the community’s unity and development. He also called for support for leaders to maintain the Luo community’s unity and progress.
Mzee Odungi Randa’s straightforward approach to dealing with the ramifications of losing the national leader and hero to millions of Kenyans has been very reassuring to Kenyans all across the country.
There are wobbling political groupings out there who have been sitting on tentacles waiting for ODM and the entire Luo communities to explode in power struggles and help destroy everything Raila Odinga stood for in a full generation of 40 years of his life fighting for democracy, multi-party and a new constitution for the nation.
Right now, ODM is disappointing a lot of political opportunists who have been furiously predicting their immediate collapse and have already lined up heirs to the ODM party to take the party to Kalonzo and Gachagua. Those waiting for that need stable chairs and water to drink or something else because they are going to be waiting for a very long time and that will be way past August 8, 2027. Good luck with that my friends.
I first met Odungi Randa at Kamiti Medium Prison in 1987. I was in jail with a big population of activists who had were locked up on accusation of being involved in underground activities to overthrow the Moi regime.
At this time the whole country was at war against the dictatorship by Moi and the consequences for Kenyans fighting for change against that were grave, but Kenyans were ready for it.
I find myself in Kamiti Prison and Odungi Randa was there with us at that time. It was very difficult for the political prisoners, but everybody just tried to fit in. For seven months at Kamiti the political prisoners stayed in different blocks to sleep after working in the jail farms. Then all of a sudden, all political prisoners were rounded up at Kamiti Medium and locked in Block 1 which is next to the front doors of the prison.
We had no idea about what was going on but we knew we were in a lot of trouble. Then we were all put under 24-hour confinement where all of us about 40 were held in one space and you sit on the floor all day and night and the Prison Guards throw “food” at the door from time to time as they wish.
In that confinement is where I met Odungi Randa for the first time and he was also a prisoner for being against the Moi dictatorship at the time.
The situation in the isolation block got worse each day and then the Guards threw Bibles at us and asked us to read that and be quiet. None of us was allowed to go outside the room even for a few minutes any day.
We got mad and threw out the Bibles, the Prison Guards gave us and that is when Odungi Randa as one of the confined prisoners asked all of us to talk about what to do.
Odungi Randa was clear about one thing. He told us, in prison the government can do anything to us and that is the end of it. He told us he respects the demands we are making not to be locked up but fighting the Guards by throwing out Bibles will give them the opportunity to just come and nock us off and there is nothing we can do to stop that.
Everybody listened. We brought back the Bibles and started having a discussion on what options we had while in prison to continue the fight for a free Kenya. We started talking. Thanks to Odungi Randa and all the inmates who wanted a way forward.
One of those inmates with us was veteran political prisoner for fighting for the rights to have a free Kenya. Oyangi Mbaja was in Kamiti with us in that block at Kamiti prison as we faced everything that was being thrown at us.
Oyangi Mbaja as a patriotic Kenya fighting for national independence was first detained by the Kenyatta government in 1966 as there was a big fall out as Kenya Peoples Union (KPU) was launched with Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Oyangi Mbaja among others as key leaders.
Later on in 1971, Oyangi Mbaja was arrested and jailed again after turmoil in the Kenyatta government and Mbaja was to spend several years in prison after that making him one of the Kenyan patriots who have served longest time in jail for his country.
At Kamiti Oyangi Mbaja was brought in jail again as Moi was facing turmoil everywhere and he was with us in that Kamiti turmoil and helped us to be reflective and just take things as they come.
In that Kamiti jail with us was Wahome Mutahi, the legendary Kenyan writer and comedian, he talked to all of us, and we figured the biggest thing for us in prison was to get out alive and that was not guaranteed. We knew that from day one even in police custody and torture centres.
Mutahi was great to us in there helping us to cope. We are so greatful for those moments in hard times.
Njuguna Mutahi, his younger brother, was there too and later he helped to set up one of the most powerful Kenyan human rights organization, People Against Torture (PAT) that our country has seen.
With PAT activists were always on the ground during police confrontations with the public many times with students holding demonstrations.
PAT was able to record firsthand info and make that available to international human rights organizations across the world which was a big avenue to take the Kenya struggle for human rights and democracy to where it belongs.
Here we go:
In the meantime, ODM as a party is doing great and they are in the field talking to Kenyans as they should and let’s see where the country wants to go as we approach 2027.
Arati and Wanga dismiss split in ODM, say party is stronger than ever
December 25, 2025
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has dismissed claims that the party is facing internal divisions, maintaining that it remains united and strong.
Speaking during the party’s North Rift tour in Uasin Gishu County on Monday, December 15, 2025, ODM chairperson Oburu Odinga dismissed reports suggesting the party was on the brink of splitting.
“ODM is intact and remains united. There are no divisions in this party, and we want to assure our supporters that ODM will continue to move forward as one,” Oburu said.
Kisii Governor Simba Arati said differing opinions within the party are a sign of democracy and should not be mistaken for disunity.
“What some people are calling divisions is simply democracy at work. Having different views does not mean the party is divided,” Arati said.
He added that ODM is committed to working with like-minded leaders in government and ruled out the possibility of the party going into opposition in the next election.
“We must be in government with like-minded people. ODM will not be in opposition in the next election, and we will give political direction early next year,” he said.
Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga reaffirmed her loyalty to the party and urged grassroots leaders to remain united.
“We are in ODM to stay. There is no way we will allow cracks that could lead to the collapse of this party,” Wanga said.
“Unity must start from the grassroots, and I appeal to our leaders and supporters not to abandon the party because of minor disagreements.”
Adongo Ogony is a Human Rights Activist and a Writer who lives in Toronto, Canada
