Inside the silent push to reconcile warring Orange party groups

A silent but determined push is underway to reconcile warring factions within the ODM, even as the party grapples with deepening internal divisions.

Leading the truce are party trustees backed by the widow of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Kenya’s Permanent Representative to United Nations Environment Programme nominee Ida Odinga.

The trustees made the first push in the days leading up to the contentious National Executive Council meeting, in a bid to broker a truce between the camps aligned to ODM leader Oburu Oginga and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.

Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang’, in an interview with the Star,revealed the behind-the-scenes efforts to have ceasefire in the opposition party.

“Yes, we have efforts that we are talking closely in the party. I am aware that the trustees are begging both sides to come and reason, I know there is (former Attorney General Amos)Wako’s  initiative which is doing shuttle diplomacy behind the curtains to bring these people together,” Kajwang’ said.

The same was corroborated by Kibra MP Peter Orero who also believes it is a matter of time before the efforts bear fruit.

“In politics we always must have back channels. No politician will refuse to sit on a table to negotiate, because politics is about consultation, about building bridges and focus on the aspirations of Kenyans who we represent,” Orero told the Star.

ODM trustees is a revered club within the party and is relied upon to give directions to the party during critical moments.

The team has Wako, ODM treasurer and former lawmaker Timothy Bosire and the party’s financial director Joshua Kawino.

Oburu is also amongst the party’s trustee.

The reconciliation team sought to persuade both sides to shelve hardline positions and allow structured dialogue over leadership and the party’s political direction.

However, the efforts reportedly collapsed after the factions failed to reach consensus, leading to the dramatic removal of Sifuna as secretary general during the NEC meeting in Mombasa.

Despite the setback, members of the mediation team insist they are not giving up.

Bosire told the Star the unity of the party remains paramount, particularly at a time when ODM is navigating delicate political realignments.

He said the trustees have made progress on some issues and remain optimistic of finding way forward even after the Mombasa NEC meeting which triggered heat in the party.

“The hiccups caused by Mombasa meeting, a solution will be found. That is my hope,” he said, adding that fresh consultations are being lined up in the coming days.

“Trying to get a solution to certain issues or problems as they arise is a normal effort, in some we manage in some it is difficult.”

“Like at the moment I have I have put my effort, I have succeeded too some extent. Largely the problems remain, I hope for a solution as we move forward.”

The former Kitutu Masaba MP termed the turbulence rocking the 20-year-old party normal, especially after the passing on of the outfit’s founder.

“Problems within ODM were expected because of the departure of our father, they are not surprising problems. These are adjustments. This (ODM) is not church, this is politics. It is understandable, it is a normal process,” Bosire said.

He however remains optimistic that reason will prevail and the factions will stop their hardline stance.

“People will come to their terms with reality and we will settle. Experience informs that after whatever ambitions one has, we level up, we are mature people. We know what works and what does not work,” he said.

“I called them together, I sat with them, we had tea together and we were friendly, that environment that is enabling is good enough – you can call it progress.

“When protagonists are able to sit together, they are not as bad as those who throw stones from very far.”

ODM deputy leader Godfrey Osotsi, an ally of the embattled secretary general, has also confirmed the ongoing mediation efforts.

In a parallel development, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has also extended an olive branch to the so-called ODM rebels, urging them to embrace dialogue and avoid actions that could fracture the party further.

Mbadi, a long-time ODM chairman before he crossed over to the Cabinet, has publicly indicated willingness to engage the the dissenters in an attempt to cool tempers.

"They should come and try convince us as to why we (ODM) should not work with President Ruto. But these disjointed statements are hurting us as both a party and a community," he said.

"We are now telling them to come and tell us why they want to go to the other side...because let's be honest, in Kenya there are just two political groupings. So if you do not want to work with Ruto, who do you want to work with? Is it Uhuru, Gachagua and the rest

Observers say the renewed reconciliation efforts underscore growing concern among senior party figures that a protracted standoff could erode ODM’s traditional support base and weaken its bargaining power in national politics.

According to Raila’s younger sister and Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga, the only way the party will be stronger is when the two rival factions are brought together.

She insisted that a truce must be sought to avoid weakening the outfit that produced presidential candidate in the last four general elections.

“ODM is a very strong party. This is the woman everybody wants to marry. If we can have our act together, and these two factions come out back and strong, we are going to be able to come out and say ‘here we are, this our card and this is what we want.’ Even if somebody from ODM is willing to become president – why would we say that ODM does not want to field a president?”