Homa Bay Town MP George Peter Kaluma has declared that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) will field its own presidential candidate in all future elections, whether running independently or as part of a coalition.

In a post on X dated April 6, 2026, Kaluma drew comparisons with mature democracies like the United States, where Red and Blue states maintain distinct strongholds, and similar patterns across Europe and Africa.

He emphasised that even in coalitions such as CORD (2013), NASA (2017), and Azimio (2022), individual parties retained their regional bases of influence.

Kaluma noted that coalitions succeed only when partners respect each other’s core territories and numerical strength in Parliament and county assemblies. “Individual political parties… fight to have good numbers in leadership,” he said.

He also added that ODM would only join pre-election pacts with partners who recognise its strongholds primarily in Nyanza and parts of Western Kenya and stay out of them before and after polls. “This is non-negotiable,” he stressed.

Zoning and party autonomy

The chairman rejected external advice on “zoning,” insisting ODM knows what serves its interests and its people, including commitments to devolution, inclusivity, and human rights. “You will either accept ‘zoning’ as a precondition to our pre-election coalition talks, or leave us alone,” Kaluma warned.

He accused some actors of confusing ODM supporters with competing overtures while the party continues stabilising the broad-based government.

For clarity, he concluded: “For the avoidance of doubt, the ODM Party will have its presidential candidate in all future elections whether in coalition with other parties or alone. Oburu Oginga is the ODM Party Presidential Candidate now.”

“This is because Coalitions need to win majority seats in leadership to effectively run government just as individual Political parties also have interests to safeguard before and after elections. This is the reason as to why Coalitions normally field only one candidate, usually from the most influential political party, in each electoral unit.”

Coalition dynamics ahead of 2027

With roughly 16 months to the 2027 General Election, ODM and President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) continue delicate negotiations for a deeper alliance. ODM is leveraging its parliamentary influence, led by figures like National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed and party chair Gladys Wanga, to demand equal partnership rather than junior status.

Kaluma emphasised that the party will not compromise on its strongholds, which include Homa Bay, Kisumu, Siaya, and Migori.