Why Winnie Odinga is the fearless defender of ODM's letter and spirit

 Winnie Odinga. [File, standard]

Young, fearless, and unwavering. East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Member Winnie Odinga has emerged as a prominent political voice in recent months, seeking to chart her own path.

Over the past three months, she has repeatedly thrust herself into the centre of debates over the future of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.

Winnie has been challenging both party insiders and political rivals with a confidence and clarity reminiscent of her late father, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

The spotlight intensified following the dismissal of Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna from his position as Secretary-General during a meeting chaired by ODM Party Leader Oburu Oginga, Winnie’s uncle.

The decision sparked sharp backlash, particularly from leaders who insist that the party’s core values, not political convenience, should guide its decisions.

At a press conference in Nairobi on February 12, Winnie stood firmly behind Sifuna, rather than siding with her uncle.“Today, this fight in ODM is not about individual leaders. It is about the soul, virtues, and values of ODM. I have said this over and over again, ODM is not a special purpose vehicle (SPV),” Winnie wrote on her Facebook account on Thursday.

She invoked the historic sacrifices made by her father and other party members, drawing a moral line between leadership rooted in principle and leadership driven by self-interest.

“Many, many times I saw the party founder change his mind on an issue because of the people,” she added.

Winnie also recalled a poignant moment from 2018 when her late father faced mortal danger.

“The biggest one to me was the swearing-in. He did not want me to know where he was, but eventually I found him. He took me aside and told me that he would die that day and didn’t want me to see him being killed,” she recalled.

This account highlighted the courage of the 36-year-old legislator.

For Winnie, recounting her father’s bravery is more than nostalgia. It is a manifesto.

She believes ODM is defined not by offices or slogans, but by the sacrifices of those who put their lives on the line for the party’s principles.

“If you didn’t put your life on the line for the people when they risked their own lives, then you are not fit to speak on behalf of the people of ODM because you simply don’t understand their sacrifice," she wrote.

Winnie has also consistently questioned ODM’s current leadership, scrutinising whether it has the legitimacy or capacity to manage the party’s complex political relationships, particularly with the ruling administration.

She has repeatedly called for a National Delegates Conference (NDC) to allow party members to determine both leadership and direction.

“The mandate belongs to the people. An NDC is not rebellion; it is democracy,” she said.

Her interventions are widely seen as both a tribute to her father’s vision and a challenge to anyone who might dilute it.

She embodies Raila Odinga’s legacy not merely in bloodline, but in principle, channelling his insistence on putting the people first, his courage in the face of threats, and his willingness to sacrifice.

Her stance has drawn support from leaders such as Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi, who praised her spirit.

“Winnie has zeal and makes a good leader. She embodies her late dad’s spirit,” Osotsi said in a previous interview.

While Dr Oburu advocates engagement with the ruling party UDA, arguing that political relevance requires pragmatism, Winnie and her allies, including Sifuna, Osotsi, Siaya Governor James Orengo and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, have mobilised under the “Linda Mwananchi” initiative.

They insist ODM must maintain independence and uphold the principles for which Raila Odinga dedicated his life.

Despite speculation about family succession and political ambitions, Winnie has dismissed claims of feuds within the Odinga family.

When President William Ruto nominated Mama Ida Odinga as Kenya’s ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the move was widely interpreted as more than a diplomatic appointment.

Analysts say it was a calculated attempt to appease and win over Winnie Odinga.

“The decision carried symbolic weight. Elevating Ida Odinga to a high-profile role could not only honour her decades of public service but implicitly align the revered Odinga family with the ruling administration,” argues Chris Amani, a governance expert.

Winnie publicly expressed pride in her mother’s nomination, emphasising Ida’s merit and long-standing service, while making clear that that admiration did not translate into political compromise.

To further manage internal strains, the Jaramogi's family convened a crucial meeting on February 1, aiming to restore unity within the family and, by extension, diffuse widening cracks within ODM.

The gathering sought to bridge divisions, especially between supporters of President Ruto’s cooperative approach and those, like Winnie, advocating firm independence and internal renewal.

However, the family meeting failed to temper Winnie’s defiance or dampen her outspokenness.

She continues to amplify her call for a return to core party values and a stronger, autonomous role for ODM ahead of the 2027 elections.