Busia Woman Representative and acting secretary general for the Orange Democratic Movement Party (ODM), Catherine Omanyo, has implicated the dissenting voices within the party, saying that they are hypocritical and self-serving.

Speaking in a morning interview with a local radio station on Thursday, April 16, 2026, Omanyo, in reference to the internal differences regarding the broad-based political structure of the party, disclosed that opposition to the deal is not new, as some members had openly opposed it even before the death of the former prime minister, the late Raila Odinga.

“Before Baba’s death, a few people did not support the broad-based arrangement. They even swore in broad daylight that they would rather not be part of ODM if it went that way. They are just driven by personal interests,” Omanyo said.

As Omanyo puts it, there was a group of leaders who had even publicly stated that they would prefer to leave the Orange Democratic Movement instead of identifying with a setup. She has questioned their change of heart, saying that they are not acting according to their principles but for personal gain.

Omanyo stated that much of the criticism that the party has been receiving internally is more about personal ambitions and not real ideological differences. She insisted that the current group of critics had previously been hardliners against the very system they are currently involved with, revealing what she termed inconsistency and opportunism.

Call for ODM unity

The sentiments from the lawmaker come at a time when ODM is still struggling to balance internal tensions as it tries to bring about unity under changing political strategies. The remarks by Omanyo are an indication of the increasing impatience of some of the party’s leaders with what they see as disruptive internal dissent.

Omanyo has further demanded candour and consistency within the party, reminding leaders that they must build their current stands with their previous ones and that they must consider the interests of the entire party, rather than their own.