Winnie Odinga: Raila's ODM can't be led by sellouts

EALA MP Winnie Odinga addresses a rally in Kibera's Kamukunji grounds in Nairobi, on January 18, 2026. [Benard Orwongo, Standard EALA MP Winnie Odinga on Sunday convened a rally at Kamukunji Grounds in Kibra, Nairobi, drawing a crowd reminiscent of those once mobilised by her late father, ODM leader Raila Odinga. The turnout stood in sharp contrast to the modest gathering that recently listened to party leader Oburu Odinga at the same venue. She used the rally to caution ODM leaders against making unilateral decisions on the party's direction ahead of the 2027 General Election without consulting members through a National Delegates Conference (NDC). Winnie said ODM supporters were keen to see strong leadership guiding the party forward, not what she described as sell-outs. Four days earlier, Oburu had told party leaders and members opposed to the Central Management Committee's (CMC) decision to pursue pre-election coalition talks with President William Ruto's UDA party that they were free to leave ODM rather than destabilise it from within. Addressing supporters yesterday, Winnie scoffed at what she said were threats to disrupt her rally. "They threatened not to allow us to come here. We have come back home and I am in the bedroom. I have even removed my shoes to feel comfortable. As the last-born, I must fix mistakes when I see them. I have come here to burn those mistakes," she said. Winnie led the crowd in chanting lines from E-Sir's Vitisho Vya Peni Mbili song. Haunitishi tishi, Haunibabaishi (You don't scare me, you don't bother me). She criticised senior ODM leaders whom she accused of attempting to wreck the party built by her father, and reiterated her call for an NDC. Winnie, who has been largely absent from recent ODM events, made a grand entry at Kamukunji Grounds for a youth engagement programme, accompanied by her brother, Raila Odinga Jr. Both Winnie and Raila Jr have been conspicuously absent from several high-profile ODM meetings attended by their uncle Oburu, including one held at the same venue last week. Their absence has fuelled speculation that they oppose how party affairs are currently being managed. Winnie made it clear that Raila never advocated for the expulsion of any leaders from ODM, rebuking those calling for the removal of Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino. She likened the party's current situation to a political journey in which Raila had been the driver, but after his departure, some passengers occupying key seats were now fighting for the steering wheel, endangering everyone else through reckless haste. The EALA MP said Raila was never a sycophant, and took aim at leaders claiming he had privately issued instructions on how the party should be run. She said all major decisions he made were done openly, not behind closed doors. "Let me make it clear that the Raila Odinga family does not support any faction within ODM. We stand by Baba's ideals. That is why we want all party members involved in crucial decisions, not a few selfish leaders deciding on their own," Winnie said. She added that Raila was a unique leader who could not be replicated, underscoring the need to involve all party members through an NDC to chart the party's next course, as her father would have done. Winnie, who was accompanied by several Nairobi MCAs, is believed to be laying the groundwork for a run for the Kibra parliamentary seat, which her father represented for 20 years. Nairobi County Assembly Majority Whip Moses Ogeto urged Oburu to ensure Winnie is included at the party's political high table, noting that she is among the few who understand ODM's operations, having worked closely with her father. MCAs called for the inclusion of leaders such as Siaya Governor James Orengo, Sifuna and Babu Owino in key party decisions, as well as the implementation of the 10-point agenda signed between ODM and President Ruto's UDA. Raila Jr urged the ODM leadership to resolve internal differences that risk splitting the party, saying his father would have wanted it to remain united and strong. "Receive greetings from Mama Ida Odinga, who is strongly advocating for party unity, as she made clear a few days ago during the commemoration of Baba's birthday. I also urge all members to remain united and resolve their differences amicably," he said. ODM has been experiencing political turbulence, with some leaders allied to Oburu and supportive of the broad-based government calling on Sifuna and Babu - both critics of President Ruto - to leave the party. While Winnie addressed supporters in Kibra, Oburu was leading ODM leaders allied to him at a public rally in Kakamega County. Sifuna skipped both meetings.

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