While ODM bickers, UDA wants victory in 2027 and post-poll dominance

ODM leader Oburu Oginga addresses a rally at Kamukunji grounds, Kibera, Nairobi, on January 14, 2026. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

As Kenya inches steadily toward the 2027 General Election, the contrasting political strategies of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) cannot be starker. President William Ruto, as the UDA party leader, is firmly focused on consolidating his party’s grassroots structures through elections and organisational renewal. ODM, on the other hand, appears trapped in a cycle of internal squabbles that risk diminishing its relevance, both within the current ODM–UDA broad-based framework and in the broader national political arena.