ODM splinters as Raila scrambles to calm rising turmoil

ODM  Party leader Raila Odinga, Secretary General Edwin Sifuna and other members of Central Committee /Emmanuel Wanson

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM party is facing fresh cracks as a hardline faction opposed to the deal with President William Ruto quietly mobilises across the country.

The group, composed mainly of youthful MPs, accuses the party of “betraying the struggle” by cozying up to Ruto’s administration.

Led by Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, the faction has defied the political truce and is openly rallying for countrywide events packaged as empowerment forums.

This Sunday, the team will pitch camp in Saboti constituency, Trans Nzoia county, for a meeting dubbed the Women Empowerment Programme.

Members who have publicly aligned with the splinter group include MPs Babu Owino (Embakasi East), Antony Kibagendi (Kitutu Chache), Caleb Amisi (Saboti), and Wilberforce Oundo (Funyula).

They are backed by other vocal leaders such as Muthoni Wamuchomba (Githunguri), Jack Wamboka (Bumula), Majimbo Kalasinga (Kabuchai), Dick Maungu (Luanda), Peter Salasya (Mumias East), Patrick Simiyu (Cherangany), Clive Gisairo (Kitutu Masaba) and Mohamed Ali (Nyali).

The group’s association with some MPs allied to the Opposition team of Rigathi Gachagua has raised eyebrows.

The end game of their political strategy however remains to be seen.

Though loosely knit, the group is gaining momentum.

It has vowed to hold regional consultative forums and hinted at forming a breakaway movement ahead of the 2027 elections.

After Saboti, the team plans another meeting in Busia later in August.

“The team is bigger than you can imagine. What you are seeing is just the tip of the iceberg. Busia is next,” a member of the group told the Star on condition of anonymity.

But insiders say there is more to these forums than meets the eye.

Speaking to the Star by phone, Amisi confirmed the team is charting a different path.

“Something is cooking. This is a team coming to save Kenya. That’s it,” he said. “People want something new, something awakening.”

This will be the second public engagement by the group.

On July 13, they held a similar forum in Kabuchai.

Sources say several ODM lawmakers support the group privately but have adopted a wait-and-see strategy.

“It’s not just me who objects to most of these things. The bad people are just louder than us, but they don’t scare me,” Sifuna said during an interview with Citizen TV, alluding to silent dissent within ODM.

Owino has publicly declared he will run for Nairobi governor in 2027 with or without ODM’s backing.

Amisi, the host of Sunday’s meeting, has warned he will leave ODM if it backs Ruto for re-election.

“I was elected on an ODM ticket for five years. But if the party continues collaborating with Ruto, I won’t seek re-election on that ticket,” he said. “If it retraces its steps and returns to its roots, then we can talk.”

Amisi says ODM’s new direction undermines years of political sacrifice.

“ODM must decide now. There’s confusion even among supporters. Some disagree with the broad-based agreement, while others say we have finally gotten into government and should enjoy it. I don’t know what they are enjoying.”

He argues the deal has diluted the party’s ideals and long-held struggle for justice.

Political analyst Javas Bigambo, however, believes the dissent is a calculated move by individuals to craft personal political brands ahead of 2027.

“They are trying to popularise themselves outside the party to build their own identity,” Bigambo told the Star.

He noted that such ambitions often collapse when faced with political reality, though he acknowledged that some rebels have influence.

“The weight is there. But significance matters. A kilo of cotton and a kilo of stone weigh the same, but the perceived impact is different,” he said. “Politically, some of them are like cotton—they weigh something but have little force.”

The fallout comes as Raila moves to calm tensions in ODM over the rapprochement with Ruto.

On Tuesday, Raila rallied the party’s Central Committee to endorse cooperation with the government, catching many loyalists off guard.

“The party supports the position of the party leader Raila Odinga to work with the Kenya Kwanza administration to stabilise the country and create an enabling environment for Kenyans to address their concerns through democratic and constitutional means,” Sifuna said while reading the resolution.

Despite the endorsement, Sifuna remained the lone dissenting voice during the meeting, backed by a few members including Governors Anyang’ Nyong’o (Kisumu), Abdulswamad Nassir (Mombasa), and Senator Godfrey Osotsi (Vihiga).