By The Weekly Vision Political Desk
National Assembly Minority Whip Millie Odhiambo has come to the defence of East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) member Winnie Odinga following her criticism of a section of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leaders whom she accused of betraying the ideals her father stood for by cozying up to President William Ruto.
During the ODM@20 anniversary celebrations at the Mama Ngina Waterfront in Mombasa on Saturday, 15th November, Winnie stole the show when she challenged her uncle and new party leader, Oburu Oginga, to call a National Delegates Conference (NDC) to determine the party’s future. “When it came to the matter of broad-based government, the people of ODM entrusted one person, who is Raila. That relationship is complicated, and therefore, we’re wondering whether those who are taking it upon themselves to manage it are capable,” she posed.
“That’s not a question for me to answer. That is a question for the people to answer. Party leader, that is why I am requesting that we go back to the people, hold an NDC, and see who the people want to pick to manage that relationship.”
Speaking on NTV’s Fixing the Nation show on Monday, 17th November, Odhiambo said Winnie was justified in seeking to protect the Orange party from individuals pursuing selfish interests. “We want to make the Odingas superhuman. Winnie is a young girl who has lost her father, whom she adored. Grief for a person you loved is deep. She is worried that people might challenge his authority because she thinks maybe we are rushing things, but she supports the positioning. She is simply saying that we should have validated things properly so it does not look like an imposition, as though the Odingas are taking over.”
The Suba North MP noted that Raila’s death left a vacuum that cannot be filled in the near future, adding that ODM will have to work hard to retain its stature. “And not just ODM, many people who believe in justice, democracy, and the values that Baba believed in feel orphaned because he has been consistent over the years. There is going to be a bit of a bumpy ride, and so it is normal,” she said.
While Winnie, Deputy Party Leaders Simba Arati and Godfrey Osotsi, Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, Saboti MP Caleb Amisi, among others, want ODM out of the broad-based government in 2027, others, including National Chairperson Gladys Wanga and Cabinet Secretaries Hassan Joho, Opiyo Wandayi, and John Mbadi, insist they are in government to stay.
Oburu has also maintained that ODM will either form or be part of the next government, suggesting that it will seek the deputy presidency, even as he noted that the party could either go it alone or join another alliance. On Saturday, he told Winnie that the family would sit down together to address her concerns.
Although her brother, Raila Odinga Junior, was installed as the family spokesman, Winnie is seen as Raila’s political protégé and the natural heir to his mantle.
