Fresh cracks are emerging in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Kenya’s longtime opposition powerhouse, as Secretary General Edwin Sifuna publicly accuses the party of flouting its own constitution by installing Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga as interim party leader.
In explosive remarks on Citizen TV, Sifuna – the Nairobi Senator and ODM’s top administrator – declared the process “not procedural” and a direct violation of party rules. He argued that following the death of legendary founder Raila Odinga in October 2025, the constitution mandates that one of the deputy party leaders should have stepped in temporarily, rotating duties if needed, while the party convenes a special National Delegates Conference (NDC) within three months to elect a substantive leader.
“The installation of Oburu Oginga as interim party leader was not procedural in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution,” Sifuna asserted. He emphasized that bypassing deputies for a direct appointment undermines internal democracy and the will of party members.
The controversy traces back to Raila’s passing, when the National Executive Committee (NEC) quickly named Oburu – Raila’s elder brother – as acting party leader to ensure stability during mourning. Proponents, including co-deputy leader Abdulswamad Nassir, hailed it as a unanimous, necessary move for continuity. Oburu, who turned 82 the day Raila died, was formally endorsed by party organs and has since defended the transition as proper and family-neutral.
But critics, including Sifuna and allies like Winnie Odinga and Babu Owino, see it as a secretive maneuver that skips democratic safeguards. Sifuna pointed out that no special NDC has been called despite months passing, fueling claims of procedural shortcuts and deepening factional rifts – especially amid debates over ODM’s role in the broad-based government arrangement with President William Ruto’s administration.
The ODM constitution reportedly allows the NEC to fill vacancies on an interim basis (per Article 73), but Sifuna insists the leadership vacuum at the top demanded deputy rotation and an urgent delegates’ vote, not a top-down imposition.
This latest clash highlights generational and ideological tensions in post-Raila ODM: veteran loyalists backing Oburu’s steady hand versus younger voices pushing for fresh elections, accountability, and perhaps a sharper opposition stance.
As infighting simmers – with skipped meetings, expulsion threats against Sifuna, and public barbs – questions loom over the party’s unity ahead of 2027 elections. Will ODM rally around a formal NDC, or risk splintering further?
Sifuna remains defiant: “I am in ODM and nobody can kick me out.” For now, the Orange party faces its toughest test yet – proving it can survive without its iconic founder while honoring its own rules.
