NAIROBI, Kenya – A group of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) legislators has appealed to party leader Oburu Oginga to urgently intervene and stem growing internal rifts that they warn could weaken the party ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The seven MPs, led by Rarieda lawmaker Otiende Amolo, said divisions within ODM have intensified in the aftermath of the death of party founder Raila Odinga, exposing fault lines that now threaten the party’s cohesion and electoral strength.
In a joint statement, the legislators pointed to a public fallout between Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed, who have traded accusations over the management of campaign funds during Odinga’s unsuccessful 2022 presidential bid.
“Given the positions of trust bestowed on them, we urge party officials, including Secretary General Senator Edwin Sifuna and Minority Leader Junet Mohamed, to desist from public verbal slurs and return to the table for internal discussions,” Amolo said.
The MPs also raised concern over rising intolerance within ODM ranks, citing an alleged confrontation involving Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai.
Owino has claimed that Alai threatened him and accused him of orchestrating online attacks against his wife — allegations that have further fuelled unease within the party.
According to the legislators, such disputes are eroding public confidence in ODM and undermining its standing in regions where it has traditionally enjoyed dominance, creating space for rival parties to gain ground.
They called on Oburu to convene key party organs to address the disputes and restore discipline, warning that continued infighting risks diluting ODM’s identity as a reformist movement.
“The current intolerance does not augur well for a revolutionary movement that Rt Hon Raila Odinga founded on the ideals of democracy, free speech and justice,” Amolo said.
The appeal was also signed by Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo, Nyatike’s Tom Odege, Turkana South MP John Ariko, Ndhiwa MP Martin Owino, Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor, Suba South MP Catherine Muma, and nominated MP Catherine Muma.
The latest dispute has laid bare the scale of ODM’s internal challenges in the post-Raila era.
Once held together by the towering influence of its founder, the party is now contending with leadership rivalries, unresolved grievances from the 2022 elections, and emerging power centres increasingly willing to fight in public — a dynamic that could shape its fortunes heading into 2027.
