NAIROBI, Kenya Feb 11 – ODM Acting Party Leader Oburu Oginga has sharply criticised senior party officials accused of contradicting resolutions of key organs, warning that indiscipline within leadership ranks threatens party cohesion.
In his open address during the National Executive Committee (NEC) convened in Mombasa, Oburu expressed displeasure with members of the Executive and Central Committee who, he said, publicly advance positions contrary to resolutions adopted by party organs.
“I am not very happy that when we pass resolutions here, some members of this committee go out to say exactly the contrary of what we have agreed,” he said.
While affirming that ordinary party members retain the democratic right to express personal views, Oburu insisted that senior officials are bound by collective responsibility.
“It is not right for a party leader to go out and shout what was not agreed and say it is a democratic right. Democracy does not mean chaos. Democracy must have some discipline,” the Siaya Senator said.
Oburu remarks came amid the removal of Saboti MP Caleb Amisi, Taveta Senator Danson Mwaruma and Gideon Menjo from party positions.
He likened ODM to a club governed by rules, saying members who disregard agreed positions undermine unity and credibility.
Oburu pledged to work with party organs to strengthen ODM, saying the leadership transition following Raila Odinga’s death requires unity and adherence to established structures.
“Our party must keep on growing from strength to strength. We are not going to go back,” the Acting PL said.
The high-stakes meeting comes amid speculation of a plot to oust Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna over claims he no longer aligns with the party’s goals.
While Oburu has defended the cooperation as a strategic move in the national interest, some party leaders, including Sifuna, have publicly expressed discomfort with the arrangement, arguing it risks diluting the party’s opposition identity.
Sifuna and a section of legislators have been branded “rebels” for questioning the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in March 2025 between President Ruto and ODM Founder the Late Raila Odinga.
