Political commentator and communications expert Barrack Muluka has identified a group of young leaders within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) who he believes are well-positioned to carry forward the legacy of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

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Speaking during an interview on a local TV station on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, Muluka noted that although Raila appeared to have relaxed his long-standing role as the face of opposition politics after joining the government, several youthful leaders had already stepped up to continue his political mission and ideological struggle.

“Now other younger people are going to step out. We have even seen some of them beginning to agitate when he was alive. And therefore, if we were to talk about the Raila Odinga orphans, for me, foremost, his ideological orphans, people who believe and who have tended to attempt to actualise that which he believed in,” Muluka stated.

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Muluka acknowledged that some Kenyans have felt that the “political ball” once carried by Raila had been dropped in recent years. However, he emphasised that a new generation of leaders is beginning to rise, representing Raila’s ideological successors, those committed to advancing the values and principles the former prime minister lived for.

He drew parallels between the current transition and Raila’s experience of inheriting political responsibility from older figures such as Martin Shikuku, pointing out that the cycle of leadership renewal is both natural and necessary for a vibrant democracy.

Young leaders

Muluka went on to name Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, and Saboti MP Caleb Amisi as some of the young ODM legislators who have shown the courage and conviction to continue Raila’s legacy. He observed that these leaders had already begun to speak out on issues that defined Raila’s political life – justice, governance, and equality – even before his passing.

“ Edwin Sifuna of this world, the Caleb Amisis, Babu Owino of this world – who are the people we will be watching as a country, whether they can step out of the shadows and carry on with that engagement?” He added

According to Muluka, the country is now watching closely to see whether these emerging leaders will rise above political shadows and embody the resilience, courage, and reformist spirit that characterised Raila’s decades-long career.

He concluded that the future of ODM and the continuation of Raila’s political ideals will largely depend on how these young leaders navigate the post-Raila era, whether they will unite around shared values or allow internal divisions to weaken the movement that Raila built.

Wrangles in ODM

These come amid political wrangles in the orange party. The party are divided on which direction they should take after the death of their party leader.

During Raila’s burial in Bondo these cracks came out visibly when Gladys Wanga insisted that the party should stick to the broad-based arrangements, with leaders like Edwin Sifuna strongly disagreeing with her, saying that the party should continue with its quest for accountability, an attribute that has long been synonymous with Raila.