NAIROBI, Kenya — Siaya Governor James Orengo has publicly questioned the ability of Senator Oburu Oginga to steer the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), arguing that the party requires a leader forged in Kenya’s liberation struggle.
Speaking in an interview on Sunday, Orengo described ODM as a political behemoth that cannot conform to the status quo.
He said the party needs a political “juggernaut” who understands struggle and resistance, similar to the late Raila Odinga.
According to Orengo, Oburu did not inherit the political acumen of his father, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, in the way Raila did.
“Most of his father’s life was in politics. Oburu was never in the forefront, never teargassed, or even tested the inside of a police station. It was not by accident that Raila was the true heir. He is a good and honest man, but I think he can’t lead the party in the right direction if he is going to be manipulated by characters in the party,” Orengo said.
The remarks lay bare deepening divisions within ODM following Raila’s exit from active leadership. Oburu assumed the party’s top position after his younger brother’s demise, but his tenure has been marked by internal contestation and factional rivalry.
Since October, Oburu has faced the task of uniting a party grappling with ideological differences over engagement with President William Ruto’s administration.
He leads the faction backing a broad-based government approach, a stance opposed by a rival wing allied to ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, which includes Orengo.
The Sifuna-led faction has rejected any arrangement that would see ODM support Ruto’s re-election bid.
They also question the legitimacy of Oburu’s leadership, arguing that he was not elected through the party’s National Delegates Conference (NDC), the organ mandated under ODM’s constitution to elect party officials.
Orengo signalled he is ready to step forward if the party chooses him during the upcoming NDC.
“At the right time, if the party delegates decide, I am ready to serve,” he said, framing his potential bid as a call to preserve ODM’s reformist identity.
Political analysts say the looming NDC could redefine ODM’s trajectory ahead of the 2027 elections.
The contest pits those favouring pragmatic engagement with the current administration against hardliners keen to maintain the party’s traditional opposition posture.
