Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Oburu Oginga has defended the party’s participation in the broad-based arrangement with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), saying it is pursuing a clear plan and will not enter a coalition without negotiations.
Oginga said the current arrangement should not be mistaken for a coalition, adding that the two parties had each nominated five representatives to negotiate and draw up a coalition agreement ahead of ODM’s possible support for President William Ruto’s re-election in 2027.
He addressed ODM supporters through a video link during a rally at Jacaranda Grounds in Nairobi on Saturday, October 31, held as part of events marking the first anniversary of the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Raila, who led ODM for nearly two decades, died on October 15, 2025, while receiving treatment in India.
Oburu said he could not attend the rally because of health challenges he had been battling for some time. He thanked supporters for their messages wishing him a speedy recovery and said he hoped to rejoin them soon.
“I am soon going to be out with you to do the activities which lead to the development of our country,” he told the crowd.
He described ODM as the country’s largest political party, saying its identity and influence had been built over many years and could not be attributed to one individual.
The ODM leader also said Raila’s rise to the party leadership was not simply because he was the son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, their father. If family ties had determined leadership, he said, he would have been the one leading the party.
He praised his late brother for standing up against oppression, saying ODM’s month-long activities in October were intended not only to commemorate his death but also to celebrate his legacy.
“Fellow Kenyans, I just want to encourage you to continue on the path of fighting for your freedom. We are in this broad-based government and we are not there blindly,” he said.
“We are there consciously and we are there knowing what we are doing. We have structures through which we work.”
Oburu further reiterated that the broad-based arrangement was not a coalition and could not operate as one, adding that ODM would not enter a formal coalition without first holding talks and reaching an agreement.
“We as a party, we are negotiating,” he said, describing the current pact as a loose agreement on the way forward.
The rally was led by ODM chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, alongside deputy party leaders Abdulswamad Nassir, the Mombasa governor, and Simba Arati, his Kisii counterpart.
Cabinet Secretaries Hassan Joho (Mining) and John Mbadi (National Treasury) also attended, alongside elected leaders from the National Assembly and Senate.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja was also present and used the rally to appeal to residents to re-elect him for a second term.
