Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Oburu Oginga has dismissed claims that talks between the Orange faction and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) over a 2027 coalition have been suspended, terming such reports as speculative and misleading.

Speaking on Friday, April 17, 2026, when he met Nyanza church leaders in Kisumu, Oburu said discussions around the anticipated negotiations are still at a preliminary stage, and no formal process has been halted, contrary to claims circulating in public discourse.

“Issues being discussed in public are just people thinking aloud. But the agenda is being prepared by our technical team. They are drafting a detailed agenda which will be made public soon; it will not remain a secret,” he said.

The Siaya Senator maintained that the agenda for the talks remains under preparation and has not yet been unveiled, urging the public to disregard assertions suggesting otherwise.

Tensions between ODM and UDA have nonetheless been evident in recent days, with disagreements emerging ahead of the expected negotiations. A key sticking point is ODM’s push for zoning, where UDA would avoid fielding candidates in ODM strongholds, a proposal that UDA has firmly rejected.

ODM national chairperson Gladys Wanga has described zoning in party strongholds as a non-negotiable condition for any 2027 partnership, while UDA secretary general Hassan Omar has maintained that the party will field candidates nationwide without restrictions.

On Thursday, April 16, 2026, the ODM Central Committee issued a warning to UDA over what it termed as unwarranted public remarks by some of its senior officials, cautioning that continued disrespect could jeopardise the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

“On our relationship with our broad-based partners, the UDA party, the Central Committee noted with concern the goings on and the unwarranted public utterances by some senior officials of the UDA Party aimed at causing anxiety and disquiet among our members,” ODM stated in a statement read by Deputy Secretary General Catherine Omanyo.

“As a party that believes in its principles, ideology and the foundation on which it was founded, we demand respect from the UDA party.”

Oburu’s stance

Despite the friction, Oburu reiterated that formal negotiations have not yet begun and dismissed suggestions that the process has been suspended, noting that ongoing engagements are still informal.

“We have not started negotiations as yet. And this thing called zoning is just one of the tools for achieving what we want,” he said.

Oburu, who assumed leadership of ODM following the death of Raila Odinga in October 2025, maintained that the party will not cede ground in its traditional strongholds.

“We are going to compete, and we are going to compete very fiercely. What we are saying is that we do not want to compete with people with whom we are going into partnership,” he added.

Meanwhile, UDA’s recent mass recruitment drives have raised concerns within ODM about potential erosion of its grassroots base, with some leaders fearing the broader partnership could weaken the party’s national standing.

Even as top leadership in both parties signals a willingness to work together ahead of 2027, uncertainty remains at lower levels, where mistrust and rivalry persist as stakeholders await the start of formal negotiations.