{"id":124786,"date":"2025-11-15T14:09:04","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T14:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/11\/15\/winnie-odinga-urges-odm-to-review-complicated-broad-based-pact-with-ruto\/"},"modified":"2025-11-15T14:09:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T14:09:04","slug":"winnie-odinga-urges-odm-to-review-complicated-broad-based-pact-with-ruto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/winnie-odinga-urges-odm-to-review-complicated-broad-based-pact-with-ruto\/","title":{"rendered":"Winnie Odinga urges ODM to review \u2018complicated\u2019 broad-based pact with Ruto"},"content":{"rendered":"

MOMBASA, Kenya, Nov 15 \u2014 EALA MP Winnie Odinga has called on the ODM Party to return to its members and make a clear decision on the party\u2019s future relationship in President William Ruto\u2019s broad-based government.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The EALA member, who termed the party\u2019s relationship with the ruling UDA Party as \u201ccomplicated\u201d, said the Orange Party only entrusted Raila with managing the relationship and in his absence, the party must seek a mandate from the people.<\/p>\n

Speaking on Saturday during ODM\u2019s 20th anniversary celebrations in Mombasa, Winnie warned that those seeking to take charge saying they must first seek legitimacy from ODM members.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it came to the matter of this broad-based government, the people of ODM entrusted one person with the management of that relationship, and that person was Baba Raila Amollo Odinga,\u201d Winnie said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat relationship is complicated, and therefore we are looking and wondering \u2014 those taking it upon themselves to manage it now, are they capable of managing that relationship? That is not a question for me to answer. It is a question for the people of ODM to answer.\u201d<\/p>\n

She urged the party to convene a National Delegates Convention (NDC) to allow supporters to determine who should steer ODM\u2019s political direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to go back to the people and have an NDC to see who they want to pick to manage that same relationship,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Anti-Ruto push <\/h2>\n

Her remarks came as senior party figures pushed back against attempts by ODM-allied Cabinet Secretaries serving in President Ruto\u2019s administration to anchor ODM into a long-term alliance with UDA ahead of 2027.<\/p>\n

On Friday, Siaya Governor James Orengo dismissed the push as \u201cidiotic,\u201d insisting ODM would not negotiate its political future with Ruto. <\/p>\n

Addressing youth at the same anniversary event, Orengo accused some leaders of attempting to \u201cdrag ODM into government through the backdoor,\u201d warning that such moves threaten the party\u2019s identity and legacy.<\/p>\n

\u201cRuto needs ODM \u2014 not the other way round,\u201d Orengo said, emphasizing that the party must not abandon its reformist roots. <\/p>\n

He reminded members that ODM was built through sacrifice, activism, and the struggle for justice \u2014 not political bargaining for positions.<\/p>\n

ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna also urged leaders to return to grassroots structures and let supporters decide whether ODM should pursue alliances ahead of 2027.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy plea to leaders is that we use the language that brings us together because we are all ODM members,\u201d Sifuna said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are one or two differences of opinion, but we should all go back to our supporters and put the question to ODM members. Whatever you decide as members, we as ODM leaders will adhere to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

New path <\/h2>\n

Sifuna pledged full support to acting party leader Oburu Oginga, promising continuity of Raila Odinga\u2019s political legacy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way I was a loyal Secretary-General to your deceased brother \u2014 the late Raila Odinga \u2014 I will work together with you to take this party to the next level,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

This internal resistance emerged at the funeral of Raola Odinga as Hassan Joho, John Mbadi, Wycliffe Oparanya, Opiyo Wandayi, and Beatrice Askul, pledged to remain part of the broad-based government \u201cwhere Baba (Raila) left us\u201d. <\/p>\n

They maintain that Raila personally instructed them to work with Ruto\u2019s administration to advance his vision for national unity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was taken to the government of William Ruto by Raila Odinga \u2014 that is where I shall stay,\u201d Joho said during Raila\u2019s burial in Bondo.<\/p>\n

ODM Chairperson Gladys Wanga also stated that the late leader\u2019s final wish was for ODM to remain in the broad-based government.<\/p>\n

President Ruto, speaking at Raila\u2019s funeral, vowed to safeguard ODM from leaders seeking to \u201cuproot the party from within,\u201d insisting he would honour Raila\u2019s vision for cooperation between the two sides.<\/p>\n

\u201cODM must be strong as we go to 2027 because that is how we will have a strong government,\u201d Ruto said, stressing that ODM remains integral to his administration.<\/p>\n

Raila Odinga\u2019s death has left ODM facing one of the most consequential decisions in its 20-year history: maintain its independence as the country\u2019s largest opposition movement, or formally join Ruto\u2019s reelection bid in 2027 under the broad-based alliance.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MOMBASA, Kenya, Nov 15 \u2014 EALA MP Winnie Odinga has called on the ODM Party to return to its members and make a clear decision on the party\u2019s future relationship in President William Ruto\u2019s broad-based government. The EALA member, who termed the party\u2019s relationship with the ruling UDA Party as \u201ccomplicated\u201d, said the Orange Party […]<\/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-124786","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\/124786","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=124786"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124786\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}