NAIROBI, Kenya – The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has officially reaffirmed its support for the political agreement between party leader Raila Odinga and President William Ruto’s UDA, in a move aimed at ending growing divisions within the party’s ranks.
In a statement released after a meeting of the party’s Central Committee held in Nairobi, ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna said the party is fully aligned with Raila’s decision to cooperate with the Kenya Kwanza administration.
“The party supports the position of party leader Raila Odinga to work with the Kenya Kwanza administration to stabilise the country and create an enabling environment for Kenyans to address their concerns through democratic and constitutional means,” said Sifuna.
The statement marks a notable shift in tone for Sifuna, who had previously criticised the ODM-UDA agreement as “dead,” citing police brutality and the recent death of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang in police custody.
His remarks triggered a wave of backlash from ODM loyalists, with some calling for his resignation.
The Central Committee of the party today reaffirmed the party’s commitment to the working relationship between the ODM party and the @UDAKenya. It also proposed the formation of a technical committee btn the two parties to oversee the implementation of the MoU signed early 2025
Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma was among the most vocal critics, accusing Sifuna of causing confusion within the party.
“He must resign or be thrown out of the ODM party. The faster this happens, the better,” Kaluma said in a statement on his X account.
During Tuesday’s meeting, chaired by Raila, the ODM Central Committee also announced it would constitute a joint technical team with UDA to fast-track implementation of the 10-point agenda outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the two parties.
Sifuna noted that the absence of this technical mechanism had slowed the implementation process, despite the MoU’s ambitious objectives.
Among the key priorities listed in the agreement are the full implementation of the NADCO report, protection of youth livelihoods, the right to peaceful protest, strengthening the rule of law, and a renewed war on corruption and public resource wastage.
“ODM will constitute a technical team to work with UDA counterparts as part of the political infrastructure to assist with the implementation of the agreement,” said Sifuna.
The reaffirmation of the Raila-Ruto pact underscores the party’s efforts to maintain internal cohesion amid shifting political allegiances ahead of the 2027 general election.
ODM, long seen as Kenya’s most cohesive opposition party, has recently come under strain due to divergent views on how to engage with the ruling coalition.
