ODM asunder: Raila’s party hit by sibling rivalry
By Reuben Mwambingu and Robert Ochoro, July 2, 2025A political storm is brewing within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), threatening to unravel Kenya’s most stable opposition party.
Once a cohesive juggernaut, ODM now grapples with internal conflicts that have spilt into public view, revealing a party at war with itself.
Infighting, regional discontent, and open rebellion have become commonplace. Yet party leader Raila Odinga has chosen to remain above the fray, a silence that raises questions about his long-term grip on the movement he founded.
Kilifi crisis
The chaos is most visible in Kilifi County, where party leadership has collapsed entirely. The impeachment of Assembly Speaker Teddy Mwambire represents just the tip of the iceberg in a county branch described as “deeply divided and weighed down by political interests”.
Mwambire was dramatically ousted despite a court order attempting to halt proceedings. He quickly blamed Governor Gideon Mung’aro for orchestrating his removal, claiming the governor sought to weaken his influence and seize the ODM county chairmanship.
“They were served with a court order at 11 am, and the session started at 2:30 pm,” Mwambire told People Daily.
“They executed their mission in total disregard of the law.” He traced his falling-out with Mung’aro to January 2023, when the governor allegedly expressed discomfort with Mwambire’s party leadership role.
Mung’aro’s office denied involvement, stating that MCAs acted independently within their constitutional mandate. However, the bitter rivalry exposes deeper fractures within ODM’s coastal stronghold.
Nairobi’s ideological split
The conflict extends to Nairobi, where a bitter rivalry between Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Lang’ata’s Felix Odiwuor (Jalang’o) has revealed growing ideological differences.
While Babu positions himself as a loyal party stalwart, he consistently criticises Jalang’o and other ODM MPs for their perceived betrayal through alignment with President William Ruto.
When ODM attempted disciplinary action, the measures appeared selective and inconsistent. Party secretary-general Edwin Sifuna faced criticism for allegedly shielding Jalang’o from sanctions, further eroding trust within party ranks.
The handling of rebel MPs has exposed a perception that ODM’s internal justice system operates on political convenience rather than principle.
Generational tensions
A new generation of leaders is challenging the old guard, demanding internal democracy and generational transition.
MPs like Elisha Odhiambo (Gem) and Caroli Omondi (Suba South) accuse the party of stifling dissent and operating outdated systems that exclude fresh voices.
These tensions increasingly target Raila’s long-time allies, viewed as gatekeepers unwilling to relinquish power.
Young leaders argue that Raila’s silence reflects not neutrality but an unwillingness to confront uncomfortable truths within his own party.
Siaya showdown
Tensions over ODM’s participation in the Kenya Kwanza “broad-based government” exploded in Siaya, Raila’s home turf.
Governor James Orengo, a constitutional lawyer and long-serving Raila ally, openly criticised the party’s engagement with the Ruto administration.
Speaking at a funeral in April, Orengo declared he would not join the “praise and worship bandwagon”, insisting leaders must speak truth to power.
“I cannot be a praise-singer,” he said. “If anything comes to Siaya, it will be as a right, not as a favour.”
His remarks triggered a rare public rebuke from Senator Oburu Odinga, Raila’s elder brother, who suggested dissatisfied members should quit rather than “vomit on us from within”.
Orengo’s resistance reignited historical tensions with Raila dating back to the 1990s, when they clashed over FORD-Kenya’s leadership following Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s death.
Despite eventual reconciliation, their ideological paths have often diverged.
Raila’s strategic silence
As infighting intensifies, Raila’s continued silence frustrates party loyalists. Some insiders argue the ODM leader deliberately avoids internal squabbles to protect the broad-based arrangement that has brought political benefits within his reach.
Critics, however, see a leader fatigued by years of political battles, choosing diplomacy over necessary confrontation.
The cost of this silence became apparent when tensions erupted again during a funeral service.
Sifuna called on President Ruto to “read the riot act” to those sabotaging his work, prompting a sharp response from the President.
“Nimeskia Sifuna anaongea na nguvu. Wakati unaongea mambo yangu Sifuna, ujue mimi ndio mwanzilishi wa ODM so unaenda polepole kidogo,” the President shot back.
“Sisi ndio tulianza hii kitu. Na unajua ukinisukuma sana, nitaitisha mkutano ya founder members wa ODM…tukiitisha hiyo mkutano kukufanyia discipline, sisi ambao tulianza chama. So tuendeni mos mos.”
Downplaying chaos
ODM Mombasa secretary Geoffrey Muyeshi Busaka downplayed the chaos, describing the tensions as healthy signs of internal democracy.
“It is normal for a big party like ODM to experience differing opinions. Nobody has a permanent position. Even Sifuna is not the first secretary-general,” he said in an interview, adding that what’s happening in Kilifi is “internal friendly fire.”
He dismissed talk of a party fracture, insisting that ODM is becoming even stronger under the broad-based arrangement and that all issues would eventually be resolved internally.
The divisions took a new twist when Kisii Governor Simba Arati, ODM’s deputy party leader, appealed to Raila to support former Interior Minister Fred Matiang’i’s presidential bid.
New presidential ambitions
Arati urged Kenyans to rally behind the former Cabinet Secretary for 2027, challenging political leaders to treat the Gusii community as equals.
“We do not want leaders from outside to dictate to us with their selfish politics and want Matiang’i to spearhead the campaign,” Arati asserted
Speaking after he visited traders at the Kisii municipal market who were affected by a fire that broke out on Sunday night, he said: “One of the leaders took my bodyguards away and told me they will return them if I behave. Such people cannot pontificate to be good leaders with such behaviours,” Arati said.
The governor said he told the leader he would not succumb to his whims until the former powerful person was bundled out of office.
He appealed to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to support Matiang’i’s presidential ambition and challenged members of the Gusii community to maintain peace and listen to all presidential candidates who will be soliciting votes from the area.
“I appeal to you to be peaceful but ensure that you safeguard your votes and elect leaders who will serve you and boost your lives,” Arati said.