NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 18 — Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party Leader Oburu Odinga has vowed to lead tough negotiations with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), insisting that ODM must secure a fair deal.
Oburu said any future political arrangement with the ruling party must guarantee ODM what it has missed out in the past, warning that the party “cannot be given peanuts.”
Speaking during a delegates’ meeting in Busia County on Saturday, Oburu said ODM would only engage from a position of strength, anchored on its grassroots support and national reach, as talks with UDA loom ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“We are the biggest party in the country, and we cannot be given peanuts. We must get our fair share. What our people have been denied in the past, they must now get,” Oburu declared.
He described Busia as the backbone of ODM, noting that the county leads in party membership registration and delivered Raila Odinga’s strongest presidential vote totals in past elections.
Oburu said it was no coincidence that ODM’s first major delegates’ meeting after the passing of its founding leader, Raila Amollo Odinga, was held in Busia.
“Busia is the foundation of ODM. Raila’s last major public meeting to launch 20 years of ODM was held here. That is why our Central Committee resolved that our first delegates’ meeting must be in Busia,” he said.
‘Side shows’
While acknowledging Raila’s death and his role as the founder and driving force of the party, Oburu insisted that ODM remains intact and firmly rooted.
“Once a government or a party is built from the grassroots to the polling station, it cannot collapse simply because the founder has moved on,” he said.
“You have given me the authority to sit in the driver’s seat, and I will not be afraid as long as I have the support of the grassroots.”
He called on party members who have drifted into internal “side shows” to return to the mainstream, urging unity as ODM reorganises itself.
Oburu urged ODM leaders to prioritise national ID registration, voter registration and party membership drives, saying the party’s bargaining power in any negotiations would depend on its numerical strength.
“This is the only way ODM will be strong. If our people are behind us, we will speak with power and without fear,” he said.
He defended ODM’s entry into the government under the broad-based arrangement, saying the move was driven by national stability concerns at a time when the country was facing serious unrest.
“Raila entered this arrangement because the country was on the verge of collapse. We did not vote for this government, but we did it for the sake of Kenya,” he said, adding that the arrangement remains “loose” and subject to renegotiation.
Oburu said ODM’s negotiation team would be “very sharp” and inclusive, drawing representatives from across the country to conduct what he termed “very tough negotiations” with UDA.
2027 alliance
His remarks come days after UDA’s National Executive Committee (NEC), meeting at State House on January 14, mandated President William Ruto to initiate structured talks with ODM aimed at forging a coalition agreement ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a communiqué, UDA said the engagement would strengthen its political strategy and build on existing cooperation, including the implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) Report of 2024 and the Broad-Based Government Agreement signed by President Ruto and the late Raila Odinga.
However, tensions remain high between the two parties at the grassroots.
On January 8, ODM accused UDA of attempting a hostile takeover of its structures in Western Kenya.
ODM Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi alleged that UDA officials had drawn ODM legislators and grassroots leaders in Vihiga and Kakamega counties into UDA campaign and electoral strategy meetings under the guise of cooperation.
“These predatory acts are in bad faith and threaten the independence of ODM,” Osotsi said, warning that such actions violate the Political Parties Act and the ODM constitution.
Osotsi stressed that the only existing arrangement between ODM and UDA is the temporary 10-point reform package arising from the 2024 Gen Z protests, which expires in 2027 and does not amount to a coalition or merger.
