A section of government officials and ODM top brass are silently sulking over the handling of Raila Odinga’s first death anniversary, with fingers pointing at key members of the late former Prime Minister’s family.
At the centre of the disquiet is the invitation of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, regarded by some of Raila’s allies as one of his biggest political adversaries.
The decision has deepened divisions within ODM, with senior party figures questioning Ida Odinga’s handling of the guest list and the organisation of the commemorations.
President William Ruto and several top ODM leaders gave Thursday’s event at Migwena Ground in Bondo a wide berth, fuelling speculation about disagreements over the guest list, the programme and the political message of the anniversary.
Suna East MP Junet Mohamed lifted the lid on the behind-the-scenes disquiet, publicly declaring he could not share a podium with Gachagua, whom he accused of being inconsistent with the political values Raila stood for.
Junet, the National Assembly Majority leader, said Gachagua’s presence on the guest list influenced his decision to stay away.
“I did not attend because when I saw the list, I saw the name of Gachagua and decided I cannot sit in the same forum with him. Baba's spirit cannot sit with such a person,” he said.
ODM communication director Philip Etale said he too could not associate with Gachagua.
“I will not betray him [Raila] by associating with someone he cautioned me against. I won't, will not and NEVER will I,” he said.
While Raila Jnr has publicly signalled support for President Ruto, Winnie Odinga’s political persuasion remains less clear.
There are perceptions she is gravitating towards the political wing associated with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.
Ruto, meanwhile, has gone out of his way to support the Odinga family and entrench Raila’s legacy.
Sources say the support extends to the family’s business interests.
Ida has been a subject of massive online attack, with some government sympathisers asking her to declare her support for Ruto’s adversaries.
ODM luminaries hold that Gachagua’s political rivalry with Raila, including past attacks on the former Prime Minister and his supporters, remains an unresolved issue.
The former Deputy President confirmed that Ida had personally invited him to the anniversary but said he was unable to attend because he was in the US on a previously scheduled programme.
In a statement, Gachagua thanked Ida for the invitation and described Raila as the father of democracy and a defender of Kenyans’ rights.
“I am a firm believer in giving a man his flowers when he is alive and hearing,” Gachagua said, accusing some politicians of pretending to honour Raila after previously insulting him.
The invitation became a subject of debate among Raila’s supporters and political commentators.
Some questioned why Ida would extend a special invitation to a politician who had previously attacked Raila and the Luo community, while others argued that inviting leaders across the political divide was consistent with the late opposition leader’s history of engaging political rivals.
Behind the scenes, accounts of the preparations suggest the guest list and the running of the programme were points of contention between the family and some political organisers.
An insider claimed that Ida insisted on inviting leaders from across the political divide on the grounds that Raila had many friends who should not be excluded from his first anniversary.
Questions also emerged over the running of the programme, with reports suggesting the family wanted the event to remain a commemoration of Raila’s life rather than a platform for political mobilisation.
Before the anniversary, Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo warned against turning the gathering into a political rally, saying the family wanted the occasion to remain religious and cultural.
“The family has requested that tomorrow's event not be a political event. It is a religious and cultural event. It's No Term day,” Otiende said.
He also relayed Ida’s request that supporters should not be ferried to the event in buses. Ida herself said Raila loved everyone, including his enemies, hence the universal invitations.
Despite the warning, political tensions surfaced during the proceedings, with the attendance and absence of particular leaders triggering a heated debate.
It is understood that several ODM lawmakers made an about-turn after arriving in Bondo and receiving word the event had evolved into a largely Linda Mwananchi affair, associated with the faction challenging the party’s cooperation with Ruto’s administration.
Otiende, who served as master of ceremonies, announced he could not trace the team led by Luo Council of Elders chairman Odungi Randa.
A number of attendees left the ceremony prematurely, including some ODM MPs who had already taken their seats on the main dais.
Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi was among the government-aligned ODM leaders who attended, despite the absence of several other senior figures.
The fallout has also revived questions about the political loyalties of members of the Odinga family, amid jitters among some government-aligned leaders that sections of the family may be sympathetic to the opposition.
Junet used the occasion to reaffirm ODM’s support for Ruto’s re-election bid in 2027, insisting the party had settled on its political direction despite divisions over Raila’s legacy.
“As ODM, we have decided that in 2027, we will support Ruto and that is our stand as a party. Any ODM supporter wherever they are, know that your leader is William Ruto,” he said.
Junet also criticised those advocating for equity in government, saying jealousy was at the heart of the current political disagreements.
“Jealousy is our main problem. There are people who have been in government for years, but they did nothing. The equity you're preaching is what has brought problems in this country,” he said.
Speaking in Sigowet, West Pokot, where he accompanied Ruto on a tour of the North Rift, Junet also pointed out that former President Uhuru Kenyatta, who had been invited to the anniversary, did not attend.
Junet’s remarks have brought into focus the disquiet among some government-aligned ODM leaders over Ida’s decision to invite Gachagua and the way the anniversary was organised.
The dispute comes at a sensitive moment for ODM, which is grappling with questions about its leadership and political direction following Raila’s death.
Junet and other supporters of the broad-based government arrangement insist that the party has committed to backing Ruto in 2027.
Other leaders, however, are seeking to preserve ODM’s identity as an independent political force, exposing competing interests within the party as the battle to shape Raila’s political legacy intensifies.
