KAKAMEGA, Kenya — Leadership wrangles within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) in Kakamega County spilled into the open during a delegates’ meeting in Kakamega town, exposing deep divisions over party leadership and strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.
Tensions flared as delegates openly questioned who holds the legitimate ODM chairmanship in Kakamega, a dispute that has lingered for months and continues to split the party’s local structures.
The divisions were laid bare after a faction operating under the G8 umbrella, led by former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, skipped the main delegates’ meeting and instead convened a parallel gathering in Butere.
The Butere meeting was attended by Kakamega Woman Representative Elsie Muhanda, MP Nabii Nabwera, and several other lawmakers, effectively boycotting the Kakamega town event.
ODM party leader Oburu Odinga attended the Butere meeting before later making an appearance at the delegates’ forum in Kakamega, a move that appeared aimed at containing the fallout and calming tensions between rival camps.
Yakiandaliwa na Mwenyeji Mheshimiwa Gavana wa Kaunti ya Kakamega, Mhesh.Fernandes Barasa, pamoja na Waziri (CS) Wycliffe Oparanya, tupo Kaunti ya Kakamega!Tunalinda Kaunti ya Kakamega!
The Kakamega delegates’ meeting drew a heavy presence of senior ODM figures, including Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, Kisii Governor Simba Arati, Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, several governors, and a host of Members of Parliament.
Delegates used the forum to demand clarity on party leadership structures at the county level and called for unity as ODM prepares for high-stakes political negotiations nationally.
Some delegates accused rival factions of weakening the party from within at a time when consolidation was critical.
The meeting also revisited ODM’s ten-point agenda, with calls for its full implementation as the party positions itself for negotiations with the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Delegates demanded that ODM’s central committee play a stronger role in shaping the party’s position in the ongoing UDA–ODM coalition talks.
Critics of the coalition negotiations were openly challenged during the meeting, with speakers questioning whether internal dissent was undermining ODM’s bargaining power.
Party leaders warned that public divisions could weaken ODM’s standing as it seeks a fair share in any future power-sharing arrangement.
The Kakamega standoff reflects broader tensions within ODM as it navigates leadership transitions, grassroots control, and national coalition politics following the death of its long-time leader Raila Odinga.
