Siaya governor James Orengo has warned that ODM risks becoming a regional party rather than its current status as a national party if it chooses to work with President William Ruto in 2027.
In an interview aired on Monday, December 29, the governor noted that ODM founder Raila Odinga had worked hard to build it into the national party it is today after realising that regional parties could not answer Kenyans' demands.
The governor alleged that trying to ethnicise the party would lead to the party losing its credibility and status, regarding what he termed as civil war within the party.
"ODM is found more or less in every region. That's what Raila did. He tried to build a national party, which is ODM. I see an attempt to try and drive it to purely a Luo party," he noted.
"If we choose to work with UDA, ODM is going to be a small party. It will be pushed back to a regional or Luo Nyanza party, which it is not. If we are not careful, it will be driven in that direction," Orengo added.
He also added that, if the party goes to the negotiation table with UDA, since ODM is the most popular party, it will have a broader say than UDA.
In regard to accusations that some party officials were planning to auction the party, he claimed that the allegations are factual. However, he declined to mention names, even after threatening to expose them.
The two factions within the party have been pointing fingers at one another in recent days, alleging that both wanted to sell the party to President Ruto and Uhuru Kenyatta.
The governor's remarks come amid internal wrangles within the party on whether to support Ruto in 2027 or to support the United Opposition or even go independent and front a presidential candidate, even as Ruto calls ODM to come to coalition terms with his party so as to form a government in 2027.
Orengo's claims came after Suna East member of parliament Junet Mohammed warned any party member against speaking on behalf of ODM, noting that only the party leader's words were final and would be taken seriously.
According to Ruto, if ODM joins hands with UDA, their coalition would likely form government in 2027, emphasising calls from senior party leaders like chairperson Gladys Wanga and deputy party leader Abdulswamad Nassir that in 2027, ODM would either form or be part of the next government.
Nassir even called on the party leader to start negotiations with UDA in 2026, warning that a late-time rush could lead to the party missing out on government.
He, however, dismissed any possibility of the party working with the United Opposition led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Orengo's claims that ODM could likely become a regional party if it goes into a coalition with Ruto's party now intensifies wrangles within the party, even as some party members push for the removal of Edwinsifuna as secretary general for allegedly disrespecting Odinga Oburu.
Currently, ODM is under a broad-based arrangement with President Ruto, an arrangement that could extend to after the elections in 2027. Orengo and his faction, though, have dismissed future arrangements with Ruto.
