NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 27 – The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is facing mounting trouble in Kisii after all its MPs from the region snubbed the party’s 20th anniversary celebrations, with several legislators now hinting at imminent exits from the Raila Odinga-led outfit.
Thousands of supporters thronged Gusii Stadium for Friday’s celebrations, part of a series of events leading up to a three-day national anniversary rally in Mombasa from October 10.
But the absence of Senator Richard Onyonka and MPs Anthony Kibagendi, Patrick Osero, Daniel Manduku, Clive Gisairo, and Obadiah Barongo cast a shadow over the rally and underscored ODM’s slipping grip in a region long considered one of its strongholds.
Kitutu Chache MP Anthony Kibagendi said the boycott reflected ODM’s shrinking influence in Gusii and signaled a realignment of local politics.
“We truly respect Raila Odinga and ODM; however, as you can see, the party is evolving,” Kibagendi told Capital News.
“We didn’t want to show solidarity to a party that soon we are exiting and create a perception in the community that we are supporting this candidate.”
Kibagendi also pointed to frustrations over the party’s internal decisions, including appointments to key leadership posts.
“The party has lost its glory in Kisii, and it all started with changes made in parliamentary leadership. We thought the Minority Whip position would have been given to me, and ODM Treasurer Timothy Bosire appointed Cabinet Secretary. Those are the major reasons for the demise of ODM in the region,” he said.
Matiangi factor
Borabu MP Obadiah Barongo echoed the sentiments, insisting ODM leaders were fully aware of the party’s dwindling fortunes in Kisii.
“I was not invited for the event. Maybe they saw that we are alive to the reality that ODM is unpopular in Kisii right now, and the danger of associating with such will make the mwananchi think you’re supporting an unpopular decision,” Barongo said.
The boycott came even as many local leaders increasingly gravitate toward former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi, who is positioning himself as a key player in opposition politics ahead of the 2027 presidential race.
Governor Simba Arati and nominated MP Irine Mayaka were the only senior ODM leaders from Kisii who attended the Gusii Stadium rally.
Arati, however, has been walking a tightrope—balancing loyalty to ODM with overtures to Matiangi and cooperation with President William Ruto’s ODM-backed broad-based government.
Since the formation of the broad-based government, Arati has even struck a truce with South Mugirango MP Sylvanus Osoro, a UDA stalwart and one of his fiercest former rivals.
The two leaders have pledged to work together for Kisii’s development, a move that further underscores ODM’s eroding dominance in the region.
Osoro himself urged calm ahead of the ODM anniversary.
“ODM has a celebration at Gusii Stadium. Allow that mzee to have a peaceful meeting. You want to disrupt his meeting and yet we have our people all over,” he said on Wednesday.
With shifting alliances, Matiangi’s inroads, and open threats of exit by elected leaders, ODM now faces an uncertain future in Gusii, once one of its most reliable political bastions.
