VIPINGO, Kenya, Jan 12 — Senator Oburu Oginga has chaired a meeting of the ODM Central Management Committee in Vipingo, Kilifi, amid intensified internal wrangles, stressing that membership engagement will shape the party’s future direction.
Monday’s session comes days after Oburu defended his leadership against critics and urged them to challenge him at the party’s National Delegates Convention (NDC).
Speaking in Siaya County, Oburu challenged his critics for a showdown.
“Those who are saying that Oburu was not validly elected, I challenge them to go together with me to the NDC if that is what they want [and] I will call the NDC very soon. I challenge them to come. I don’t fear anyone.”
Addressing members of the Central Management Committee on Monday however, Oburu reiterated the party’s commitment to internal consultation, unity of purpose, and principled leadership.
He emphasized that ODM will continue listening to members and the public as it charts its policies and strategic direction.
The ODM Party Leader defended the party’s engagement with President William Ruto’s government, which he said seek to secure political and development gains for ODM supporters.
He highlighted his role in negotiations that led to senior ODM figures’ Cabinet appointments, including Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi, Treasury CS John Mbadi, and Mining CS Hassan Joho.
Dialogue
The Vipingo meeting followed recent attempts to remove ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, with Oburu hosting the embattled official for a discussion at his Nairobi office after Migori Senator Eddy Oketch withdrew a petition calling for his removal.
Oburu praised Sifuna as a “sober and principled voice” and urged party members to embrace freedom of expression and dialogue.
“Differences of opinion do not mean division. Great parties, like ODM, grow through robust debate and unique challenges,” Oburu said, vowing to engage internal dispute resolution mechanisms instead of punitive measures.
Mama Ida Odinga, widow of ODM founding leader Raila Odinga, has called on wrangling party factions to embrace dialogue to avert a potential split.
Speaking to Nairobi parliamentarians on January 2, she urged leaders to honour her late husband’s vision of ODM as a people-centred party, saying: “It is my wish that we can preserve the party in his honour as a matter of service to our country.”
She stressed that the party’s current mudslinging and leadership disputes risk tarnishing 20 years of ODM history, and urged leaders to reflect on what Raila Odinga would do under the circumstances.
“I am sure Baba would tell us, let us sit down and talk. That is my wish — to sit down and talk about our differences,” she said.
Deepening divisions
ODM remains divided over whether the party should continue supporting President Ruto’s administration or focus on preparations for the 2027 General Election.
One faction, led by MPs Babu Owino and Secretary General Sifuna, advocates exiting the government and charting a new leadership direction, with Owino publicly signalling his intent to seek a senior position.
The opposing faction, aligned with Oburu Odinga, ODM Chairperson Gladys Wanga, and several Luo Nyanza leaders, supports continued negotiations with Ruto to secure a mega coalition and maximize ODM’s representation in a post-2027 political landscape.
Recent disputes have included accusations over campaign fund management during the 2022 elections, leadership succession, and party discipline, with attempts to de-whip Sifuna now paused in favour of dialogue.
Monday’s Vipingo meeting is widely seen as an effort by Oburu and the Central Management Committee to consolidate party cohesion, elevate member voices, and define a strategic roadmap for ODM amid rising tensions and competing visions for the party’s future.
