Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has confirmed that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) will field its own presidential candidate in the next general election.

Speaking during a morning radio interview on Thursday, March 26, 2026, Kaluma said the party leader, Oburu Oginga, would currently be the party’s presumptive candidate if elections were held today.

“You don’t start by saying you are going for deputy president. Who told him we are going for deputy president? ” Kaluma said. “When we are going for negotiations, we are going for nothing less than the president.”

Kaluma explained that under ODM’s constitution, the de facto presidential candidate is the party leader. He traced the party’s history in pre-election coalitions, citing the CORD arrangement in the 13th Parliament and the NASA coalition in 2017, where party delegates formally nominated their presidential candidates.

“Before you discuss who is the leader, the presidential candidate of the coalition, each political party, by tradition and as a requirement of the law, will elect their presidential candidate,” Kaluma said. “So currently, our presidential candidate, if elections were to be called today, is Oburu Oginga. And that should be very clear.”

He added that coalition negotiations might influence the final candidate in the future, depending on which parties ODM partners with.

“It may land at Oburu Oginga himself if he will be the candidate we nominate at that time. It may land at President Ruto if it is UDA we are going into a coalition arrangement with. It may land at Kalonzo if we will be in a coalition with him,” Kaluma said.

ODM NDC sets agenda

Kaluma’s comments come ahead of ODM’s National Delegates Conference (NDC) scheduled for Friday, March 27, 2026, at Jamhuri Park. The meeting, defended by party chairperson Gladys Wanga, is set to ratify officials and reinforce the party’s leadership following the passing of former leader Raila Odinga.

“There is only one NDC called in accordance to section 49 of our constitution, a special delegates conference, a 21-day notice given, delegates invited,” Wanga said. “Anything else would be maybe a kamukunji, a baraza, a political rally, a birthday party, but there is only one NDC of the ODM party that will be taking place this Friday.”

Kaluma’s declaration follows recent warnings from former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who described the upcoming NDC as potentially ODM’s “last supper” if the party weakens itself in coalition talks with President William Ruto. Gachagua urged the party to protect its strongholds and demand transparency in any political agreements.