NAIROBI, Kenya — ODM Youth League member Kasmuel McOure has publicly criticised the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party’s media team, accusing it of misreporting internal party positions in a manner he says exposes party leader Dr. Oburu Oginga to public ridicule.
In a statement issued on Friday, January 2, McOure said the party’s communication around ODM’s presidential position was misleading and deliberately framed to portray a constitutional matter as a personal political ambition.
“This is wrong reporting, deliberately framed to expose our Party Leader Oburu Oginga to public ridicule,” McOure said. “The matter is constitutional, not personal.
The ODM Party Constitution is clear, and Dr. Oburu Oginga is merely restating its provisions. He is the Party’s Presidential candidate.”
The remarks follow an ODM party statement outlining what it described as Oburu’s position regarding the 2027 presidential election.
According to the party, Oburu said he would vie for the presidency against President William Ruto in 2027 should ODM decide to field a candidate, arguing that the party constitution clearly defines who qualifies as its presidential flagbearer.
“Party Leader Oburu Oginga says he will vie for the Presidency against President William Ruto in the 2027 general election should the party decide to field a candidate,” the ODM statement read. “He says the party constitution is clear on who should be the presidential candidate and urged anyone else in the party wishing to vie for the presidency to do so outside the ODM party.”
McOure, however, faulted the framing of that position, insisting it distorted the intent of the constitutional provisions and reduced them to what appeared to be a personal declaration.
He also took aim at ODM Secretary General and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, accusing him of failing to clarify the party’s constitutional position and instead prioritising external perceptions.
“These are the facts the Secretary General ought to clarify,” McOure said. “Instead, Sifuna is preoccupied with appeasing our detractors, as his camp prepares to unveil a new political vehicle in March.”
The sharp exchange exposes growing tensions within ODM over party leadership, internal democracy and the interpretation of its constitution ahead of the 2027 general election.
While the party has not formally announced its presidential strategy, debates over succession and candidature have increasingly played out in public, raising questions about cohesion within Raila Odinga’s long-dominant political outfit.
McOure’s comments also come amid scrutiny over his recent engagement with government, which has drawn criticism from some ODM supporters.
In a separate development last month, the State Department for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development announced a partnership with McOure, who is also the convener of the Broad-Based Youth Front.
In a statement dated December 18, 2025, MSMEs Development Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni said the collaboration aims to widen the reach of government programmes by working with youth-led structures.
“To expand the reach and impact of our State Department, we look forward to collaborating with Kasmuel McOure… to ensure that more young people can access timely information, opportunities, and tools that support their economic empowerment,” Mang’eni said.
She added that the partnership would focus on promoting government initiatives supporting youth-led enterprises, including the Hustle Fund, the NYOTA Project and shared User Spaces under the Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE).
The political implications of McOure’s dual role — as a vocal ODM insider and a government collaborator — continue to attract attention, particularly as ODM navigates internal disagreements over leadership, constitutional interpretation and its path to 2027.
