By TWV Team
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Central Management Committee has resolved that the party will continue to be part of the broad-based government jointly formed by President William Ruto and its departed leader, Raila Odinga.
The decision, reached during the party’s top decision-making organ, the first since Raila’s death, is likely to allay fears that ideological differences between the old guard and the Young Turks could destabilise the 20-year-old Orange party.
“As the top leadership of this party, we shall pursue all the causes he dedicated his life to and do everything within our power to uphold the unity of the party. We shall apply the lessons learnt from our departed leader and comrade in the service of the nation and the people he loved and fought for. We reiterate the commitment of the party to the broad-based government until 2027, a relationship guided by the ten-point agenda entered into for the sake of peace and stability in the country,” Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna said after the meeting.
Until recently, Sifuna had been among the opponents of the deal between Ruto and Raila following last year’s Gen Z protests, and at one point declared it dead. However, in his statement, he described Raila as a peacemaker and bridge-builder par excellence, noting that every major national milestone over the last 40 years bore his fingerprints.
“Each time, he sacrificed personal ambition for the national good. It is for this reason that, in four straight elections, whenever our party leader was aggrieved by the results, he would still extend an olive branch to the President to stabilise the nation and prevent Kenya from descending into chaos, as has happened in some neighbouring countries. Raila the statesman would never countenance personal ambition burning the nation,” he said.
The committee called upon the leadership and membership of the party to rally around the late leader’s dreams and aspirations for his beloved movement and to work together in unity.
“Certainly, no one will be able to fill the massive shoes left by Raila. But together, unity of purpose will be key to navigating the coming 15 months. Whatever ideological or political differences exist within the movement must remain healthy, as Raila himself desired, while we lay a strong foundation for the next election and beyond. ODM, as a national party and the most consequential one over the past 20 years, must not fade from the scene,” the committee noted.
During the meeting, the committee formally endorsed his elder brother, Siaya Senator Dr Oburu Oginga, as interim party leader and urged members to accord him full support and cooperation as he guides the party through this difficult period.
The meeting, held at a Nairobi hotel, was chaired by Dr Oginga, who had earlier visited the ODM headquarters at Chungwa House, where he met secretariat staff led by Sifuna and Executive Director Oduor Ong’wen.
The committee announced that the ODM@20 celebrations will be held in Mombasa from 14th to 16th November, during which the party will showcase Raila’s contributions to both the movement and the country’s democratic journey.
At the same time, the party will hold memorial services in various parts of the country to allow supporters to celebrate his life and legacy. These include Magarini in Kilifi County on 2nd and 3rd November, and Homa Bay and Migori on 5th and 6th November. “The immediate post-Raila period will be admittedly difficult. But we do not have the luxury of time, as there are both the 20th anniversary celebrations and the 27th November by-elections to plan for. Elected leaders and party officials must reach out to members across the country to comfort and assure them that the journey of the late Raila Odinga continues, and that we shall remain steadfast until Canaan is yonder.”
“Baba built this movement on the foundation of values, democracy, equity, inclusion, and truth. ODM is not just a political party; it is a covenant, one that we, the living, must now renew. Let us resist the temptation to scatter in despair or to fight over his political inheritance as leaders often do when giants fall. Raila’s true inheritance is not a name or a position, but a mission — the mission to continue the struggle for a Kenya that works for all its children, regardless of tribe, class, or creed. We commit here, in unison as we did during the funeral, that we shall not be responsible for any breakup of the party or any unnecessary political turbulence that undermines Jakom’s dream,” Sifuna added.
He further urged the media to avoid sensationalism and divisive reporting within the party. “ODM’s biggest challenge now is not which faction is winning, but how to preserve the unity we have reaffirmed today. The Central Management Committee has met and laid a firm foundation for unity upon which we can build. We appeal to the media to highlight this positive momentum rather than dwell on perceived divisions. ODM is a fabric woven from diverse material across the country. We may not always speak the same language, but we know how to avoid the pitfalls of division,” he said.
Sifuna also appealed to the national government to release billions owed to ODM in political party funding. “We believe that the best way for the government to honour the late Rt Hon Raila Odinga is to release the funds owed to the party so that our programmes can continue and his legacy can be preserved. As the foremost democrat in this country, Raila fought tirelessly for political party funding as a safeguard against state interference. It is only fair that his memory be honoured by resolving this issue,” he stated.
Sifuna concluded by affirming that the party remains strong and steadfast in all its obligations, expressing confidence that ODM will emerge even stronger from adversity.
