Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party Vice Chairperson Otiende Amollo has maintained that the outfit must not be absorbed into President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party.
This follows the president’s remarks during Raila Odinga’s burial that he would protect and guide the orange party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking during an interview on Spice FM, the Rarieda MP stated that while ODM remains part of the broad-based government formed under the Ruto-Raila agreement, any attempt to merge with UDA would erode the democratic gains achieved through multipartyism.
According to the legislator, ODM should pursue a fresh and structured political agreement with President Ruto’s party rather than a merger.
He argued that this would protect the party’s identity and ensure that future collaborations are built on clear, negotiated terms that advance both governance and representation.
He dismissed growing perceptions that President Ruto was emerging as ODM’s de facto leader following Raila’s passing, insisting that party leadership must remain internal and guided by its constitution.
“In my understanding, the President did not mean that he was speaking for ODM when he said that he would ensure that we remain strong. Certainly, the President cannot be the spokesperson for ODM. For UDA to be strong, then ODM must be strong as a party and must not be allowed to be swallowed by UDA,” Otiende stated.
He added that if President Ruto still desired ODM’s support in the 2027 general elections, there would need to be fresh negotiations outlining the broad-based government gains and achievements to use as bargaining points.
“If President Ruto so decides that he still needs the support of ODM in 2027, then we must enter a structured negotiation again and be very clear on the gains made so far and what bargaining points will be there. We cannot do that if we allow ourselves to be swallowed by UDA,” he said.
Otiende emphasised that the president must maintain a non-interference stance in ODM’s internal matters, allowing it to operate independently while cooperating with the government. “The president just needs to maintain non-interference with ODM as a party,” he remarked.
He further dismissed the notion that a new Luo political kingpin had to emerge immediately after Raila’s passing, saying leadership in the region would evolve naturally at the right time.
Otiende also expressed optimism that the political pact between Raila and Ruto would remain intact despite the opposition leader’s passing.
Additionally, he revealed that the joint committee established by the two leaders to oversee the implementation of the ten-point agreement was still operational and making progress on its mandate.
