Why Raila's shoes seem too big for Oburu Oginga

ODM leader Oburu Odinga and Secretary General Edwin Sifuna after a meeting in Nairobi, on January 7, 2026. [Courtesy]

The 20-year-old ODM party now appears to be operating on autopilot as bickering and infighting among senior-ranking leaders rage, raising serious questions about party leader Oburu Oginga’s ability to steer and steady the ship.

Among those concerned about the widening cracks in the party is Mama Ida Odinga, the widow of the party’s founding leader, Raila Odinga, who collapsed and died in India in October last year. Senate Minority Leader and Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo has also called for dialogue between warring factions within ODM, warning that the public spats witnessed among senior leaders will cost the party its dominance.

Until yesterday, when Oburu met Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, the man at the centre of the storm, the 82-year-old self-declared ODM presidential aspirant in 2027 had remained silent as the war of words escalated, especially between Sifuna and the Leader of Minority in the National Assembly, Junet Mohammed.

Without guidance and proper leadership, all manner of statements and verbal tirades from scores of ODM leaders have continued unabated, raising concerns about the future of the party.

Following Oburu’s silence, a section of ODM legislators led by the party’s Vice Chairperson, Otiende Amollo, voiced concerns over the self-cannibalisation that has characterised ODM and called on the party leadership to wake up and restore order.

“The spectacle of self-cannibalisation being exhibited of late in our party is testament to how much we miss the wisdom and iconic leadership of our departed Raila Odinga,” the MPs said in a statement.

Divisive rhetoric

They regretted that divisive rhetoric has taken over politics without restraint and called upon the party’s elected leadership and wider membership to uphold the tenets of unity and camaraderie espoused by the now-deceased founder of the party.

The MPs also implored their colleagues to stop the rhetoric and come together to build a strong party ahead of next year’s elections.

“Given the positions of trust bestowed on them, we urge party officials like Secretary General Senator Edwin Sifuna and National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed to desist from public verbal slurs and return to the table for internal discussions. We encourage the Party Leader to call for an internal ‘spitting session’ to avoid the ongoing mud-fest,” the statement read.

The MPs further disclosed that as ODM intensified infighting, smaller parties were strategically moving to occupy spaces previously held by the party — an indication that it was fast losing grip on its strongholds.

Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma, who is among the ODM leaders pushing for Sifuna’s removal, differed with those calling for internal dispute resolution mechanisms, maintaining that Sifuna must be shown the door.

“UDA kicked Khalwale out of the Senate leadership position when he took his jokes too far. What is the ODM party doing with the corrupt traitor who adds nothing to the party? Kick him out of the Senate leadership position he holds,” he said.

However, Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga warned that ODM risked a mass exodus of supporters, especially from the Western region, if plans to oust Sifuna from party leadership were pursued.

As stated earlier, Oburu appeared to do what he should have done weeks ago when he met Sifuna at his Nairobi office, where they discussed matters concerning party unity and forging a united front, on a day that also marked Raila’s 81st birthday.

“Secretary General Senator Edwin Sifuna this morning called on Party Leader Dr Oburu Oginga at his office in Nairobi. Their meeting centred on unity and the growth of the party… #TukoTayari,” read a statement by ODM shared across the party’s social media platforms.
This also came on a day when Ida, called for dialogue to quell disquiet within the party while addressing people gathered at her Karen home to celebrate Raila’s birthday. She appealed to party leadership to emulate Baba’s attributes and adopt his dispute-resolution mechanisms.

“I want to end by appealing to those Baba left in the leadership of the party to reflect deeply and sincerely on his dreams for ODM and for our country. Let us solve the problems of the party by always asking ourselves, what would Baba do under these circumstances? Your guess is as good as mine. I am sure Baba would tell us: let us sit down and talk. That is my wish — to sit down and talk about our differences,” Ida stated.

After meeting Oburu, Sifuna wrote: “As I said at Mzee’s burial, it will not be me to wreck Mzee’s party — it will not be Sifuna. I made that promise to Mzee and I want to repeat it here. It doesn’t matter how many times or how badly you have insulted me; there is no one in ODM I will not sit down with. You have asked us to sit and talk. I am very prepared; it doesn’t matter what has happened between us. I am going to extend that olive branch. It has been quite strange trying to find our footing as a people, as his sons, as his children, without him.”

Political analysts say the crisis reflects Kenya’s personality-driven politics, where parties collapse once their vision carriers die. According to Pius Wanyonyi, parties such as Kadu under Ronald Ngala disappeared after Ngala’s death in 1972.

“ODM survived because of Raila. Once leaders fell out with him, they could not retain elective positions. This is different with Oburu, who lacks influence in ODM strongholds. ODM’s disappearance is not a matter of if, but when,” Wanyonyi said.

Prof Macharia Munene noted that Raila’s strong personality held together antagonistic camps that feared and revered him.

“Raila’s death melted the ODM glue. Fragmentation became open. Ruto then asserted he was an ODM founder member as he tried to expropriate it and perhaps become heir to Raila’s legacy,” he said.