Details have emerged of the behind-the-scenes intrigues that fuelled tensions at Raila Odinga’s first anniversary celebrations in Bondo, nearly bringing the event to a premature end.
President William Ruto and several top ODM leaders gave the event a wide berth, leaving a political vacuum that opposition leaders moved to exploit as they sought to consolidate their support in the region.
Their absence exposed underlying tensions over who should carry forward Raila’s political legacy and the direction ODM should take ahead of the 2027 general election.
Sources familiar with the planning said State officials and key ODM leaders were uncomfortable with what they perceived as Raila’s family exerting excessive control over the programme.
At the centre of the fallout was the decision to invite prominent opposition figures, some of whom have since fallen out with ODM and are now at the forefront of efforts to oust President Ruto in 2027.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino were among the ODM dissidents invited to the event, further fuelling concerns over the political direction of the commemorations.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and her PLP counterpart Martha Karua were also invited.
Sources however said the family was determined to prevent the commemoration from becoming a platform for political mobilisation for any side of the political divide.
However, a section of State backers aimed their artillery on the Raila family, with some accusing the family of gravitating towards the opposition.
“Otiende Amolo announced that ODM supporters and leaders are not welcome to the event. So we didn't go. We respect the family's wishes,” Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai claimed.
Weeks earlier, Raila’s sister Ruth Odinga said some unnamed ODM leaders wanted to hijack Raila’s anniversary and turn it into a desperate audition for political survival.
She termed the alleged schemers ODM vultures.
On Thursday, she said she could quit ODM if the ideals Raila championed are not respected.
“If standing with ODM means sacrificing everything to protect justice, then so be it. If I have to move to another party to ensure that justice prevails in Kenya, I will do so,” she said.
While Raila Junior has publicly announced his backing of President William Ruto, the rest have remained cagey.
Winnie Odinga’s announcement of her candidature for Nairobi senatorial seat yesterday triggered speculations she could could contest on Sifuna’s party.
“I have seen that there is a visitor here from Nairobi; his name is Sifuna,” Winnie said.
“Let it not be a rumour that as Edwin Sifuna searches for higher offices, I see there is a space. That is why I will stand for the senator of Nairobi.”
Ruto had been expected to join the Odinga family and other leaders at the event but instead proceeded with his development tour of the North Rift.
Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi was the most prominent government representative at the fete at the historic Migwena Cultural Grounds.
Wandayi rallied the gathering behind Ruto’s re-election bid, bringing the 2027 contest into an occasion the family had sought to keep focused on Raila’s legacy.
Other notable absentees included ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga who is also the Homa Bay governor, National Assembly Minority leader Junet Mohamed and several prominent figures associated with the broad-based government. A number of MPs attended the ceremony.
It is understood that the State withdrew from the event after signs of likely tension.
Ruto had recently visited Bondo to unveil Raila’s mausoleum, a gesture government allies have cited as evidence of his commitment to honouring his former political rival and subsequent partner in the broad-based government.
But the family was determined to retain control of the anniversary amid concerns that State involvement could turn the occasion into a government-dominated political event.
Raila’s close ally and Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo had warned against attempts to turn the anniversary into a political contest, saying the family wanted the day to proceed without politics or goonism.
He said it was not an occasion for politicians to compete to demonstrate their popularity or seek political advantage.
The family also wanted to avoid a repeat of the protocol controversies that followed Raila’s death in October 2025.
At that time, opposition leaders complained about being denied opportunities to address mourners at memorial events.
At the national memorial service at Nyayo Stadium, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and former Justice Minister Martha Karua were not given an opportunity to speak, prompting grumbling among opposition leaders.
Kalonzo was subsequently allowed to greet mourners at a later event in Bondo after the omissions at the national service triggered disquiet.
Critics however say the eventual Thursday programme was tailored in favour of the opposition leaders who spoke last.
Wandayi and ODM Deputy Party leader Simba Arati spoke earlier, giving the opposition an opportunity to hit Ruto.
“The family believes Raila’s legacy cannot be complete if you lock out people simply because they hold different political positions,” the insider said.
The family invited members of the Linda Mwananchi brigade, with Siaya Governor James Orengo among the figures associated with the faction who attended.
The decision reflected the family’s position that Raila’s political history could not be reduced to his final working relationship with Ruto or the current arrangement between ODM and the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Some actors, however, were seen as seeking to use the anniversary to consolidate political positions and score points ahead of the 2027 elections.
The family was keen to prevent the gathering from becoming a competition over who was closest to Raila or who could claim his political support.
The tensions also point to a widening disagreement between the family and ODM over the management of the party and the extent to which the family should be involved in its affairs.
Sources familiar with the disagreements cited sustained frustration within the family over what they described as inadequate engagement, including the failure to sufficiently involve Raila’s daughter, Winnie Odinga, in party activities.
There are also disagreements over the management of funds reportedly left by Raila, with sources putting the amount at Sh1.96 billion and claiming that the money has since been exhausted.
The Star could not independently verify the circumstances surrounding the expenditure and the status of the funds.
Core to the dispute is the question of who should determine ODM’s political direction following the death of its long-serving leader, who held together competing interests within the party for decades.
Wanga and other party officials have argued for continued engagement with Ruto, while critics associated with Linda Mwananchi have questioned the arrangement and demanded greater accountability.
The anniversary exposed the difficulty of reconciling those positions while preserving Raila’s standing as a national figure whose support extended beyond ODM and the Luo community.
ODM leaders backing the broad-based government believe Ruto’s support for Raila’s development legacy and the partnership with the President provide grounds for continued cooperation ahead of 2027.
Opposition figures, however, believe Raila’s legacy also represents a tradition of political contestation, constitutional reform, and resistance to power.
