{"id":122184,"date":"2025-09-27T12:09:30","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T12:09:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/09\/27\/will-odm-survive-gusii-revolt-as-mps-plot-a-walkout\/"},"modified":"2025-09-27T12:09:30","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T12:09:30","slug":"will-odm-survive-gusii-revolt-as-mps-plot-a-walkout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/will-odm-survive-gusii-revolt-as-mps-plot-a-walkout\/","title":{"rendered":"Will ODM survive Gusii revolt as MPs plot a walkout?"},"content":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 27 \u2013 The Orange Democratic Movement\u2019s (ODM) hold on Gusii politics is under threat after all six MPs from the region boycotted the party\u2019s 20th anniversary celebrations, a coordinated snub that has intensified speculation of imminent defections ahead of the 2027 elections.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The absence of Senator Richard Onyonka and MPs Anthony Kibagendi (Kitutu Chache South), Patrick Osero (Borabu), Daniel Manduku (Nyaribari Masaba), Clive Gisairo (Kitutu Masaba), and Obadiah Barongo (Bobasi) was widely read as a sign of rebellion within the party, with several leaders openly hinting at plans to exit ODM.<\/p>\n

Kitutu Chache South MP Anthony Kibagendi declared that the boycott was deliberate and a reflection of ODM\u2019s dwindling influence in Kisii.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a candidate who is associated with another candidate who is unpopular. We didn\u2019t want to show solidarity to a party that soon we are exiting and create a perception in the community that we are supporting this candidate,\u201d Kibagendi said, bluntly signalling a looming walkout.<\/p>\n

The legislators cited ODM leader Raila Odinga\u2019s shifting posture toward President William Ruto as a key source of discontent, saying it has left local supporters feeling betrayed. <\/p>\n

They argued that Odinga\u2019s apparent willingness to cooperate with Ruto undermines ODM\u2019s identity as the country\u2019s main opposition party.<\/p>\n

\u2018Politically costly\u2019<\/h2>\n

Borabu MP Obadiah Barongo was equally forthright, saying remaining tied to ODM was politically costly.<\/p>\n

\u201cODM is unpopular in Kisii right now and the danger of associating with it will make the mwananchi think you\u2019re supporting unpopular decisions,\u201d he said, adding that exclusion from the anniversary event only confirmed the widening rift.<\/p>\n

The MPs also complained about ODM\u2019s failure to reward the region with senior positions in parliament or the executive. <\/p>\n

Kibagendi said expectations of the minority whip slot and a cabinet appointment for party treasurer Timothy Bosire were dashed, weakening confidence in the party.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe party has lost its glory in Kisii and it all started with changes made in parliamentary leadership. Those are the major reasons for the demise of ODM in the region,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The fallout comes against the backdrop of recent opinion polls showing ODM\u2019s support slipping outside its Luo Nyanza base. <\/p>\n

A TIFA survey released in August put ODM\u2019s popularity at 28 per cent nationally, a steep decline from the 40 per cent-plus levels it enjoyed in the run-up to the 2022 elections. <\/p>\n

Kisii, where Odinga secured about 65 per cent of the presidential vote in 2022 is among regions showing softening support.<\/p>\n

The Gusii boycott could mark the beginning of a realignment that may see ODM lose some of its MPs to rival formations. <\/p>\n

With the 2027 elections just two years away, such defections could not only dent Odinga\u2019s national numbers but also erode his claim to lead a broad-based opposition movement.<\/p>\n

For ODM, the boycott is more than a protest \u2014 it is a warning that its once-secure foothold in Gusii is slipping fast, with defections looming large on the horizon.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 27 \u2013 The Orange Democratic Movement\u2019s (ODM) hold on Gusii politics is under threat after all six MPs from the region boycotted the party\u2019s 20th anniversary celebrations, a coordinated snub that has intensified speculation of imminent defections ahead of the 2027 elections. The absence of Senator Richard Onyonka and MPs Anthony Kibagendi […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122184"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122184\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}