NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 19 — Siaya Governor James Orengo has called on the government to safeguard the integrity of political parties as a way of honoring the legacy of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Speaking during Odinga’s burial in Bondo, Orengo cautioned that undermining party structures would roll back Kenya’s democratic gains.
“I urge you even as we speak about unity, let us not kill political parties,” said Orengo. “Political parties are the foundations of democracy. Any arrangement we go into should not be ones that kill political parties.”
His remarks come amid mounting calls to consolidate and strengthen the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), which now faces the delicate task of preserving Odinga’s political legacy while redefining its future in a rapidly shifting political landscape.
Orengo’s sentiments were echoed by Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga, who revealed that her late brother’s final wish was for ODM to remain strong and united.
“Raila told me the day before he died that ODM must be united and strong. We cannot have another ODM being led by a few people and another faction on the other side who think they own the party,” she said. “We are going to go to any negotiation with a strong, united one ODM.”
Her remarks come against the backdrop of months of internal wrangles within the party over a possible alliance with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
The talks have split the party, with some senior officials pushing for collaboration with the ruling coalition as a way of fostering national cohesion, while a youthful faction led by Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has rejected the idea, calling it a betrayal of ODM’s founding reformist ideals.
Raila’s death is now expected to amplify these tensions, as ODM grapples with succession politics ahead of the 2027 General Election, a moment many observers believe will be the ultimate test of the party’s unity and ideological strength.
Raila Odinga, 80, died of cardiac arrest while receiving treatment in Kochi, India.
