The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is facing renewed internal friction following claims that the late party leader, Hon. Raila Odinga, had entered into a political understanding with President William Ruto shortly before his unexpected death.
The allegations, which have circulated widely among party insiders, suggest that Odinga may have intended to guide a section of ODM into collaborating with the Kenya Kwanza administration ahead of the 2027 General Election.
However, emerging statements from ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna appear to contradict these claims. Speaking during a Kenya Moja faction rally in Kisii County on Friday, Sifuna dismissed as “misguided and dishonest” assertions that ODM should align itself with the broad-based government initiative championed by President Ruto.
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Sifuna told supporters that at no point did Raila Odinga instruct ODM members to join or support the government, insisting that anyone suggesting such a trajectory was deliberately misleading the party.
“There is no day I am going to work with President William Ruto,” he declared. “Those saying Raila told them to support Ruto in his re-election bid are lost. ODM has its path, and we must remain true to it.”
The comments come only weeks after Raila Odinga’s final public address in Machakos, where he urged ODM to prepare adequately for the 2027 polls but stopped short of naming a clear succession structure or political direction. His silence on the party’s next steps has left a widening vacuum, with competing interpretations now threatening unity within ODM’s ranks.
Sifuna’s remarks have sparked mixed reactions, with some members supporting his firm stance while others insist the party must embrace political realignments in the late leader’s spirit of dialogue.
As uncertainty deepens, a critical question now confronts the party: Can ODM remain intact and influential beyond the 2027 General Election, or will internal rifts reshape its future?
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