Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Kaluma has praised Oburu Odinga’s leadership at the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.

Taking to his official X account on Thursday, January 29, 2026, Kaluma said the Siaya Senator was a trusted adviser whose counsel was relied upon by his late young brother, Raila Odinga.

While celebrating Oburu’s rise to the top of the party, Kaluma described him as a leader who endured years of political resistance before finally earning recognition within ODM’s highest ranks.

“They ignored him, then laughed at him, then fought him, But ⁦@TheODMparty chose him Party Leader. The man is deep. Baba depended on his counsel,” Kaluma stated.

Liberation

Kaluma further framed Oburu’s leadership as a continuation of ODM’s reformist legacy, linking it to what he described as Kenya’s “third liberation”, which he said would focus on economic empowerment and social justice.

According to the legislator, Oburu’s experience, patience, and ideological grounding position him well to guide the party at a time of internal realignments and national political shifts.

“The third liberation – Economic Liberation – is coming. ALL Kenyans will be proud,” he wrote on X.

Oburu’s pledge

Oburu has since pledged to rebuild the ODM party despite growing internal tensions.

Speaking to the Orange party delegates in Kisii County on Sunday, January 25, 2026, at Ogembo in Bobasi Constituency, Oburu emphasised his commitment to continue the work of his late brother Raila.

“Party Leader @DrOburu_O says he will not be distracted by some forces from making ODM better and greater,” ODM said in a statement shared on X.

“He says he is up to the task and that he is focused on building the party from where his brother the late Raila Odinga left after his passing in October last year. He spoke to party delegates from Kisii County at Ogembo in Bobasi Constituency.”

The Kisii gathering was part of ODM’s Linda Ground initiative, which mobilises grassroots support.

Raila, who died on October 15, 2025, from cardiac arrest in Kerala, India, aged 80, founded ODM in 2005 from a grassroots movement opposing a proposed constitution.

Under his leadership, the party became a major centre-left force, leading opposition coalitions and challenging successive governments.