Junet to Gachagua: ODM is not a village party
By Emmanuel Rono, April 20, 2026Suna East MP Junet Mohammed has hailed the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) as Kenya’s sole political titan with truly nationwide reach, dismissing rival parties as mere regional outfits.
Speaking during the party’s youth convention held at Jamhuri Showground on Monday, April 20, 2026, Junet argued that while other political formations remain tethered to specific ethnic or regional enclaves, ODM’s footprint spans every corner of the country, solidifying its status as the only national movement in the current political landscape.
“Hii ni chama kubwa, hii sio chama cha kijiji kama hizi vidogo vidogo vimeanzishwa juzi. Sasa mtu kama Rigathi anatupikia kelele kila siku. Yule chma yake haitoshi ata chama chetu uko Migori pekee yake,” Junet said.
Loosely translate: “ODM is a major party; it is a national party. ODM is not a village party like those small parties that were formed the other day,” Junet stated.
“A person like Rigathi Gachagua makes noise every day; he lectures us all the time. He mentions the name of our party leader, Oburu Oginga, every day, national chairperson Gladys Wanga, and even me. His party, DCP, is not big enough to match our party in Migori county alone,” Junet said.
ODM has numbers
Junet added that ODM’s strength lies in its diversity, especially in urban centres like Nairobi, which he described as a cosmopolitan hub reflecting the party’s national reach.
“We will show Rigathi that here in Nairobi, it is not a place for village parties, a place for one tribe. Nairobi has all tribes in it, and the party that has all tribes in it is ODM,” he said.
Gachagua on ODM
Speaking at a rally in Nyandarua County on March 1, 2026, Gachagua, now leading the Democratic Citizen Party (DCP), said ODM had previously opposed him when he advocated for equitable representation for the Mount Kenya region.
“Hawa watu wa ODM ndio walinifukuza eti kwa sababu niliongea mambo ya shares ya watu wa mlima. Sasa wanaitisha 50%. That is total hypocrisy,” he declared, drawing cheers from the crowd. He added that broken promises in earlier negotiations had fueled his criticism.
“That is total hypocrisy, because hiyo maneno ya hypocrisy tulikua tumeskizana na huyo mtu ya kua tukimpatia kura utupatie hii, akaanza kuhepa mi nilimwambia ile tuliagana utupatie,” Gachagua noted.