NAIROBI, Kenya — The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has dismissed reports alleging it ferried over 6,000 delegates to Nairobi for its Special Delegates Conference (SDC), terming the claims false, misleading, and politically motivated.
In a statement issued Sunday, ODM Director of Campaigns and Elections Junet Mohammed accused The Standard Group of publishing sensational and erroneous information intended to misinform the public and damage the party’s credibility.
“Our attention has been drawn to a misleading and sensational headline alleging that ODM ferried 6,000 delegates to Nairobi… at a cost of Sh 100 million,” Junet said. “We wish to categorically state that these allegations are false, baseless, and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public.”
The controversy stems from a Sunday publication by The Standard, which cited an unnamed organiser claiming that more than 6,000 delegates attended the March 27 conference and that over Sh100 million was spent on transport, accommodation, and logistics.
ODM, however, maintained that its constitution caps accredited delegates to the National Delegates Conference (NDC) at 3,000, arguing that any figure beyond that would be unlawful. Junet questioned the source of the higher figure, describing it as a “gross exaggeration” and evidence of reckless reporting.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the ODM Constitution is explicit… The required number of accredited delegates is 3,000; any figure above this is unlawful,” he said.
The party also rejected claims that delegates were paid Sh30,000 each, insisting that attempts to portray the event as driven by financial inducements or regional mobilisation were inaccurate and intended to mischaracterise ODM’s internal processes.
Instead, ODM urged the public to focus on key outcomes of the conference, including leadership changes ratified during the meeting. Delegates unanimously endorsed Oburu Odinga as party leader and elected Gladys Wanga as chairperson.
Kisii Governor Simba Arati and Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir were named deputy party leaders.
However, the conference exposed internal divisions, with several notable figures — including Godfrey Osotsi, Edwin Sifuna, James Orengo, and Babu Owino — absent from the event. The dissenting faction instead convened a parallel meeting dubbed the “People’s NDC” under the Linda Mwananchi banner, citing alleged irregularities within the party.
The dispute comes amid heightened scrutiny of media standards in Kenya. The Media Council of Kenya has recently raised concerns over sensational reporting, while the Communications Authority of Kenya has also taken regulatory steps affecting media operations, including issues involving The Standard Group.
