What happened at the so-called grassroots consultation meeting was no innocent mistake. It was a clear and deliberate act of political defiance. The conspicuous absence of senior figures from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM)—including James Orengo, Anyang’ Nyong’o, Paul Otiende Amollo, Edwin Sifuna, Babu Owino, Ruth Odinga, Winnie Odinga, Ole Kina, Hassan Joho, Amos Wako, and ODM MPs from Busia County—sent a chilling message. This was not coincidence. It was a direct snub to party authority.
Let’s speak plainly. This was a calculated boycott, not an oversight. It exposed a party struggling to enforce discipline, grappling with open defiance, and losing control of its own ranks. When senior leaders deliberately stay away from a forum meant to unite and energize the grassroots, it signals something deeply wrong at the core. It points to eroding trust, internal rebellion, and a leadership structure under strain.
Grassroots meetings are meant to project strength, unity, and confidence. Instead, this one did the exact opposite. It embarrassed the party in full public view, laying bare fractures that can no longer be hidden behind speeches or slogans. The message from those who stayed away was unmistakable: the house is divided, and loyalty is no longer guaranteed.
Politically, this is more than just embarrassing—it is dangerous. ODM is sitting on a ticking time bomb, and pretending otherwise will only hasten the explosion. Without swift, firm, and decisive leadership action, this quiet rebellion will grow into a full-scale internal crisis—one capable of weakening the party’s credibility, undermining its bargaining power, and leaving it severely wounded by its own internal battles.
