Orange Democratic Movement Leader Oburu Oginga has dismissed claims that his party is withdrawing from negotiations with the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
He clarified that assertions of a halt in discussions are unfounded, emphasizing that no formal talks have taken place between the two parties as of now.
Speaking to the media in Kisumu, Oginga stated that ODM and UDA are still in the preparatory phase, with no negotiating teams constituted so far.
“We cannot stop what has not started. Our negotiations with UDA have not started. We have not even formed the negotiating teams, and therefore, there is no issue of putting a break to it,” he said
Oginga noted that public speculation does not accurately represent the party’s official stance. He revealed that ODM’s technical teams are in the process of preparing a structured agenda to guide future discussions, which will be transparent once negotiations commence.
“Our technical teams are preparing a detailed agenda that will be made public soon. There will be no secrets, and we will discuss the issues openly to find solutions, as these are matters that require resolution,” he said.
He reiterated that ODM is currently focused solely on engaging with UDA, a partner in the broad-based government, while ruling out parallel negotiations with other political formations. However, he stressed that any discussions would be based on clearly defined terms.
“As ODM, we are not interested in other parties with whom we are not negotiating. We are only particularly interested in UDA with whom we are going to start negotiations,” remarked Oburu.
Central to those terms is the issue of zoning, which Oginga described as a strategic tool rather than a concession. He asserted that ODM will not give up its political strongholds and expects any potential partner to respect its existing areas of influence.
“This thing called zoning is just one of the tools of achieving what we want. We are not ready to cede those positions which we already have. We are not ready to cede them to any other parties,” he said
He underscored the principle of non-interference, urging coalition partners to avoid competing in regions where ODM has an established political presence.
At the same time, he warned party aspirants against complacency, reminding them that all elective positions will remain open for competitive nominations within the party.
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