Barely three weeks after ODM leader Raila Odinga was laid to rest, we’re already seeing heated debate about the party’s future?
There is no crisis in ODM. What we are witnessing is a lot of external noise from people hoping and praying that ODM will disintegrate after Baba’s passing. But ODM is not in crisis.
What’s really happening inside ODM right now?
We are simply going through a transition, and transitions are part of every strong political movement. Let’s not forget, ODM is a 20-year-old party that has gone through highs and lows. Every time people have predicted its collapse, it has come out stronger. This moment will be no different.
At Raila’s burial, we heard contrasting messages from the party’s top brass, who seemed to differ on whether ODM is staying in government or preparing for the next election. Isn’t that disunity?
What you call “differences” are simply different perspectives within the same family. Remember, ODM is a democratic party. We don’t silence voices we encourage debate.
What I said during the burial was consistent with Baba’s last instruction—to keep the party united, to maintain stability in the country, and to continue working within the broad-based government until 2027. He was very clear about that.
Everyone seems to interpret differently Raila’s final position on cooperation with the government. What exactly did he mean?
When he spoke publicly at the burial of the late Dr. Phoebe Asiyo, Baba said he had chosen to work with the government for the sake of peace and national unity. That was his last instruction to us, and as his disciples in this movement, we must honour that.
So yes, you might hear different tones, but our destination is the same. ODM will either form the next government or be part of the next government. What we will not be is a divided house.
Many Kenyans have read headlines suggesting “ODM in Crisis” or “Battle for ODM’s Soul.” What is your opinion on these screaming headlines?
Who said we are in crisis? These are narratives being driven from outside. There’s a difference between a crisis and a conversation. We’re having a conversation about the future.
ODM remains firm in the broad-based arrangement. The Central Committee will deliberate on three things: first, the upcoming by-elections; second, our 20-year anniversary, which we’ll celebrate as ODM@20 and Baba@80; and third, a review of our 10-point agenda signed at the KICC with the government side.
Those are practical issues, not political drama. If there’s any ‘battle for ODM’s soul,’ it’s being fought by people outside the party who want to destabilise us, not those of us within.
You’ve mentioned the 10-point agenda several times. What exactly is this agreement with the government, and is ODM officially in a coalition with Kenya Kwanza?
ODM is not in a coalition with Kenya Kwanza. We did not sign a coalition agreement. What we signed was a broad-based cooperation framework, a working understanding born out of a national crisis.
After the unrest and economic instability that followed the 2024 protests, Baba didn’t act out of ego. He acted out of patriotism. He went across the country—Coast, Nyanza, and Rift Valley—speaking to party delegates about how to keep the nation together. When he asked whether we should let Kenya burn or stabilize it until 2027, the overwhelming answer was to stabilise.
So the broad-based government is the way to go for ODM?
The current arrangement was about saving the country. It’s not about sharing power it’s about shared responsibility. Our 10-point agenda covers issues like the cost of living, electoral justice, public debt, and inclusivity. A team of technocrats from both sides was formed to track progress on these issues.
Yet, some of your critics say that those supporting the broad-based arrangement are doing so because they’re “enjoying the benefits.” What is your response?
That’s unfair and frankly misleading. I’m the governor of Mombasa. My county gets its equitable share through constitutional allocation, not political favours. The same applies to the governor of Homa Bay, Gladys Wanga, or any other ODM governor.
When people say we are benefiting, I ask benefiting from what? Development is not a privilege; it’s a right. What we’re doing is ensuring that our counties are not punished for political choices.
The closer we work with national institutions, the more our people gain not us individually. And I’ll say this again - no political party is formed with the goal of staying in opposition forever. ODM’s goal is to govern to shape policy, to influence development. That’s what “people first” truly means.
You’ve repeatedly said ODM will either form government or be part of government. Doesn’t that sound self-serving?
I understand the question, but that’s a misreading of intent. Being in government doesn’t mean abandoning principles. It means being in a position to deliver for the people.
When you’re in government, you can push your social democratic agenda: free education, youth empowerment, equitable development through actual policies, not press conferences.
Yes, democracy needs an opposition, but it doesn’t say that ODM must always be it. We’ve been in the opposition long enough to understand the cost of tear gas, arrests, lost lives. Maybe it’s time another party takes that role while ODM drives policy from within government. That’s how democracies mature.
What is your advise to those within ODM who still believe the party should stay independent and not cooperate with the government?
Healthy dissent is welcome. ODM has never silenced internal debate. But at the end of the day, decisions are made collectively.
When the Central Committee sat and decided to join the broad-based framework, it wasn’t a decision of one person. We sat until 2am before voting unanimously.
If anyone now feels that the 10-point agenda hasn’t been honoured, then the right thing to do is bring it back to the Central Committee for review not to the media. That’s how institutional politics works.
How do you, as one of ODM’s three deputy leaders, interpret the path Raila wanted the party to take after him?
Baba was a visionary. Even in his final months, he was thinking about the next generation of leadership. He wasn’t grooming individuals; he was building an institution.
His message was simple - unity above all. He reminded us, ‘you cannot heal what you refuse to confront.’ That means accepting where we are as a party not pretending we can rewind history.
