NAIROBI, Kenya Feb 19 – Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga has dismissed claims of division within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), insisting the party remains united despite reports of internal factional alignments.
Speaking during an interview on KTN News, Odinga described ODM as a resilient political force capable of weathering internal differences and emerging stronger.
“ODM is a very strong party. This is the woman everybody wants to marry,” she said.
Her remarks come against the backdrop of heightened debate within ODM over its future direction, following the emergence of two informal camps commonly referred to as Linda Mwananchi and Linda Ground.
The internal power struggle within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has reached a boiling point, as the party remains deeply fractured between forming a pact with President Ruto’s government or not.
Homa Bay Governor and Party Chairperson Gladys Wanga, represents the wing aligned with interim leader Oburu Oginga. This faction has doubled down on its commitment to the broad-based government and a 2027 pre-election pact with President William Ruto’s UDA, arguing that stability and national unity are paramount for the post-Raila era.
Opposing them is the faction led by the embattled Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, supported by Siaya Governor James Orengo and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino.
This group, often referred to as the “Linda Mwananchi” faction, has vehemently rejected any coalition talks with the ruling party, positioning themselves as the “official opposition” and the true guardians of ODM’s activist roots.
Tensions exploded earlier this month when the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) moved to oust Sifuna from his role, a decision Wanga defended as constitutional but which Sifuna’s allies have branded an illegal “political hit” orchestrated to sell the party to the highest bidder.
However, Odinga rejected suggestions that ODM is fractured.
“I would like to start by saying that the Orange Democratic Movement is not a party. It’s a movement,” she said.
“ODM is a party made for the people, of the people and by the people, so it is a very distinct party and therefore it makes it very unique.”
She urged members to close ranks, arguing that internal cohesion would strengthen ODM’s negotiating position in any future coalitions or electoral arrangements.
“If we can have our act together, and these two factions can come back together on a table, and we come out back strong, we are going to be able to come out and say, ‘Here we are, this is our card, and this is what we want,’” she stated.
Odinga also dismissed claims that the party might shy away from fielding a presidential candidate in the next General Election.
“If somebody from ODM is willing to become the president, why would we stop them and say that ODM does not want to field a president? Why would anyone think that ODM cannot have a presidential candidate?” she posed.
Her comments follow a period of transition within the party after the death of its long-time leader Raila Odinga, an event she described as deeply traumatic for members.
“Remember, we have just lost our founder and party leader and that is very traumatic,” she said.
“In every home, when you lose the person who is in charge, there must always be that trauma and finding your own way is not easy.”
Political analysts note that ODM, which has remained a dominant force in opposition politics for nearly two decades, is navigating a sensitive succession phase as it recalibrates its identity, leadership structure and national strategy.
But Odinga maintained that the party’s strength lies in its grassroots base and collective ethos.
“It is not a party that you talk about and say it’s individuals that are running the party and people must listen and adhere. It is a party that has been made by the people of Kenya to serve the needs of Kenyans,” she said.