The United Opposition groups, having night prayers and hopes that ODM goes bananas and just kill their own party as everybody runs elsewhere must be brutally disappointed and mad with the new ODM leader Dr. Oburu Oginga and the ODM team for standing firm and actually now striving to make their party even stronger.
There are those who were waiting for the party to kick out some party leaders from ODM so there is outrage across the country with our known tribal politicians claiming ODM has become a Luo party.
That was the opposition hope because the whole country knows now that they have no agenda or any plans for the country.
Their hopes have been vanquished by the bright ODM leadership who saw that whole scheme rolling and just cut it off with no mercy to the opposition wishful dreams. Bye Bye my friends now you have to look for something else to hang your hopes on.
Oburu stands firm on UDA-ODM Coalition Strategy; says critics free to exit
“We have no intention of expelling anyone from the party. If someone wants to leave the party, let them depart on their own and leave us alone,” Oburu said.
Speaking during a consultation rally in Kibra, Oburu said ODM would not expel members who disagree with the party’s position but warned against internal sabotage at a time when the party is positioning itself for future political negotiations.
“We have no intention of expelling anyone from the party. If someone wants to leave the party, let them depart on their own and leave us alone,” Oburu said.
The Siaya Senator said that the coalition talks is aimed at securing ODM a stronger role in the formation of the next government.
“We want to be in the government that we form. A government where we will have a stronger voice and where we will have the right to demand our rights,” he added.
ODM Deputy Party Leader, and Kisii Governor, Simba Arati, also pledged to take charge of the party’s campaigns in Nairobi, vowing to ensure that ODM retains its stronghold in the capital.
“I have been in Nairobi for two terms. I understand the politics here very well. The Governor who will be in Nairobi must be from ODM. The Senator of Nairobi must be from ODM. Regarding the Members of Parliament in the constituencies, we know there are nine and we must take them all.”
“In Kisii and in Nyanza where I come from, we will work together. Do not worry about the small conflict there; we will tell everyone to play their own position and not someone else’s. Let us respect each other and build the party,” he added.
One big development at the rally in Nairobi today was the launch of Operation Linda Ground to help mobilize Kenyans to for the next elections. One thing such a group can achieve if they operate across the country is to mobilize Kenyans particularly young people to go register to vote.
Getting people to register as voters is not going to happen by press statements from leaders from time to time. Registering voters will require groundwork where ODM leaders and party operatives are on the ground helping new voters to find the registration centres to register and get their voting cards.
There has been a voting registration going on which was started by the IEBC before the just concluded by-elections. The sad reality is that people are not going to those registration places and that means there may be very few new voters in 2027.
Another problem is that in ODM territory there is a huge problem where barely a half of those eligible to vote actually voted in 2022. They have to deal with those issues by connecting directly with voters and emphasizing how important their votes will be in 2027.
ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga told the gathering that party members had agreed to protect the party’s political base while remaining supportive of the broad-based government arrangement.
The other really important announcement during the Kibra rally by ODM was that ODM is prepared to work with President William Ruto to ensure that the compensation package for victims of state violence is fully implemented and that is great news for those victims still waiting of the compensation process to go on and achieve the objectives of providing justice for them.
“Tumekaa chini kama wanachama, tunajua Baba (Raila Odinga) alituacha ndani ya broad-based government lakini sisi ndio chama kubwa zaidi south of Sahara na north of River Limpopo. Wakati huu tunataka wanachama walinde ground,” said Wanga.
She noted that the party had given its leadership a mandate to push key priorities, including compensation for families affected during the recent political unrest.
“Tumempa nguvu zote party leader wetu, Dr. Oburu, kuhakikisha ile 10-point agenda imefikishwa, na kuhakikisha ya kwamba wale vijana wetu na familia ambazo zilipoteza watu wao wamepata compensation,” she said.
The fact that ODM has told Kenyans that compensation for victims as was expected from panel announced by President Ruto is a priority for them is great news for the victims because it means that as they engage in the coalition talks between ODM and UDA, the compensation package can be in the frontline and be resolved as things move on in the coalition plans.
As things stand now, UDA is also looking forward to the coalition talks with ODM and that means the ground is now set for both parties to define their priorities and get things done for Kenyans that are important to them. I don’t know where all these leaves the opposition, but they can be happy just listening to Gachagua crying about everything. In the real world the UDA and ODM coalition is getting ready to set a completely new stage in national politics and it could have huge impact on the 2027 elections.
UDA authorizes Ruto to open coalition talks with ODM ahead of 2027 election
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) National Executive Committee (NEC) has authorized party leader, President William Ruto, to initiate formal talks with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to firm up a coalition pact ahead of the 2027 General Election.
In a communiqué issued after a NEC meeting held in Nairobi on Wednesday, the party said the engagement would seek to strengthen the ongoing political cooperation between the two parties and shape a structured pre-election agreement.
“The NEC mandated the UDA Party Leader to establish mechanisms for structured engagement with the ODM party to achieve the desired outcome,” read the statement.
“The NEC noted the decision of the ODM Party Central Management Committee to initiate structured negotiations with the UDA Party, in the Kenya Kwanza Coalition, to strengthen the ongoing political partnership and negotiate a coalition agreement ahead of the 2027 general elections.”
One very important aspect of what is unfolding for Kenyans is that ODM and UDA are going to have formal coalition negotiations and talks telling Kenyans what they want to achieve for the country. President Ruto will of course also stand on his record since he became Kenya’s president in August 2022.
That new agenda for coalition will be defined by their development plans for the country and that is a key part where they have to show concrete plans and their record to Kenyans.
Secondly, Kenyans are asking the coalition in their discussions to resolve the compensation issues for victims of state violence by reconciling with human groups organizations like Kenya National Commission for Human Rights (KNCHR) and coming with a joint platform working with the victims to get outstanding issues resolved and have the compensation process moving on.
The country will be very proud and happy about that. Just do it please, is what I would say as a person who knows a thing or two about state violence against Kenyans and its consequences to you as a person and to your family.
