Saboti Member of Parliament Caleb Amisi has threatened to abandon the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party in the 2027 General Election if it continues cooperating with President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza administration.
Speaking on Tuesday, July 29, Amisi revealed that his mandate with the Raila Odinga-led party is for five years only; however, if the party continues associating with President Ruto beyond this time, he would ditch the party, and seek a ticket with another party.
''I am a member of ODM I was elected on an ODM ticket for five years. Until then, if ODM continues collaborating with William Ruto, then I will not seek re-election with that party,'' Amisi announced.
Amisi, a vocal party loyalist, expressed his dismay over the emerging political realignments, which he claimed were confusing the grassroots and diluting ODM’s ideological stance.
However, Amisi clarified that if the party gets out of the agreement with the Kenya Kwanza Government and reverts to its original agenda, he would continue with his pursuit within the party.
''If ODM gets out, aligns and retraces, going back to our roots, where we belong, there we can agree and forge forward,'' the MP continued.
The MP, alongside other leaders like ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, has been vocal about the ODM-Kenya Kwanza Memorandum of Understanding, which they have termed a setback to the party.
According to Amisi, the agreement has cast more doubt on the party, with both leaders and supporters remaining confused over what direction they should take. He also alleged that the agreement has led to ideological compromises.
Amisi stressed that ODM's historical role has been to hold power accountable, not to merge interests with it. Although party leader Raila Odinga has defended the cooperation as necessary for national unity and constitutional reforms, Amisi insists that the move was politically costly.
The MP argues that ODM has no time and has to make the costly decision now, before time leads them to more 'damage.'
''ODM has to make a decision now. There's a lot of confusion among the supporters; there are those who agree with the broad-based government, while others don't, and that confusion is derailing our efforts as a party,'' Amisi continued.
Amisi has been a member of ODM since 2017, when he was first elected as Saboti MP under the party. Since then, he has risen in the ranks in the party until he served as Deputy Organising Secretary in 2023.
