ODM delegates from the four Nyanza counties have officially endorsed Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga to succeed the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga as the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

In a statement shared by the party on its official X account on Friday, October 24, 2025, ODM confirmed that delegates from Kisumu, Siaya, Migori, and Homa Bay counties unanimously backed Oburu, describing him as experienced and capable of steering the party forward.

“ODM delegates from the Counties of Kisumu, Siaya, Migori, and Homabay have this afternoon endorsed the Senator of Siaya County, Oburu Oginga, to succeed our departed Leader, Raila Odinga⁩ as the party leader, ” the statement reads, adding that Oburu has the experience required to steer the party forward.

“They say he has experience and is capable of leading the party,” it added.

The endorsement marks the first coordinated declaration by grassroots ODM members since the passing of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who until his death was the face and founder of the opposition party.

The move by Nyanza delegates signals growing regional consensus around continuity and the preservation of Raila’s political legacy through a trusted member of his family.

Also watch: Sabina Chege downplays fears of ODM collapse after Raila Odinga’s death.

Oburu has been a long-time ally and elder brother to the late Raila Odinga. His endorsement appears to resonate with ODM loyalists in Nyanza who see him as a bridge between the party’s founding vision and its next chapter.

Immediately after Raila’s demise, ODM named Oburu as acting party leader. The new endorsement is seeking to cement the position.

The development also comes amid an emotional and delicate political period for the ODM fraternity, still reeling from the loss of Raila Odinga, a man many viewed as the soul and symbol of Kenya’s democratic struggles.

As the conversation on ODM’s future gains momentum, the focus now shifts to whether the rest of the party’s regions, including Western, Coast, and Nairobi, will rally behind the Nyanza declaration or propose alternative leadership voices.

The party’s National Executive Council is expected to convene soon to discuss the transition roadmap, a move that will likely define ODM’s new leadership direction in the post-Raila era.

The endorsement of Oburu, as captured in ODM’s statement, marks what could be the first formal step in shaping the next phase of one of Kenya’s most influential political movements.