Wiper Patriotic Front Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has defended young leaders, warning against what he terms as crude attempts to bully and intimidate them, with a pointed defence of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s youngest daughter, Winnie Odinga.

Speaking in Ngaaie, Mwingi North, during a ceremony to honour the life of the late Dorcas Mutindi Matiki on Friday, January 23, 2026, the former Vice President said Kenya must reject a political culture that seeks to silence emerging voices, especially young leaders who speak their truth.

Kalonzo’s sentiments come amid the young leaders in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), among them Winnie Odinga, Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino, ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna and Saboti Member of Parliament Caleb Amisi, facing harsh criticism for their hard political lines.

The group has emerged as a target for attacks by a section of ODM leaders who are supporting the current broad-based government arrangement between the ruling party, United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and ODM, heading into the 2027 general election.

Kalonzo defends Winnie Odinga

At some point, Sifuna, Babu Owino and Winnie Odinga have been threatened with the purge in ODM for not being in full support of the ODM-UDA pact. However, running to Winnie Odinga’s defence, Kalonzo praised her courage and values, which he noted reflect the principles many Kenyans continue to fight for.

“I must commend the great work our young leaders are doing. No one should bully Winnie Odinga. She embodies the courage and values we fight for. When young leaders speak their truth, we must consider them an inspiration, not a threat,” Kalonzo said.

He stressed that young leaders should be viewed as an inspiration rather than a threat, adding that intimidation and silencing of such voices must be condemned by all Kenyans, regardless of political affiliation.

Kalonzo’s remarks came against the backdrop of growing political tensions and debates around youth participation in leadership and public discourse. He argued that democracy thrives when young leaders are allowed to express themselves freely without fear of harassment or political bullying.

Tolerating young leaders

”The crude attempt to intimidate and silence them must be called by all Kenyans regardless of political affiliation,” Musyoka added, even as the Odinga family has convened an emergency meeting.

Raila Junior confirmed the meeting, stating that ODM leader Oburu Oginga had agreed to convene the sitting. His statement came hours after President William Ruto nominated Ida Odinga as Kenya’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Beyond his defence of Winnie Odinga, the former vice president used the occasion to reflect on broader national challenges, particularly in the education sector. He lamented what he described as chaos in Kenya’s education system, accusing the current leadership of dismantling structures that took decades to build.

Kalonzo said institutions and systems established during his tenure as Minister for Education and later as Vice President, including the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), had played a critical role in supporting thousands of students. He warned that poor policy decisions had left more than 500,000 students at home, with families and communities bearing the brunt of an “ill-thought-out” Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).