The Orange Democratic Party (ODM) has cracked the whip on constituent parties in the larger Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya coalition party, stating that they would no longer accept the sustained onslaught against their party leader Raila Odinga.

Speaking on Monday, August 19, 2024, ODM’s national chairperson Gladys Wanga noted that the other parties in the Azimio coalition were painting Odinga in the wrong light following the inclusion of five former ODM officials into President William Ruto’s government.

“We are here as a party to express serious misgivings about utterances by some of our partners in the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party who have attempted to question the place of ODM and its commitment to playing its role as an opposition party,” Wanga stated.

Wanga noted that questioning Odinga’s commitment to leading the opposition party had necessitated them to issue a statement, adding that lending a few former officials to Ruto did not amount to entering a coalition pact.

“The basis of that doubt is the fact that some four, just four former officials of this party joined the Kenya Kwanza administration to help steady the nation. We wish to restate that the fact remains what the party leader, Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga has said before. There is no agreement between ODM and Kenya Kwanza that makes the two joint partners in government,” she reiterated.

ODM chided the other Azimio constituent party leaders, stating that their five officials coopted into Ruto’s government were only there in their individual capacities to stabilise the nation.

“No sane leader or political party should celebrate the collapse of the nation. Consequently, when the president tapped on these members, the party responded to the distress call of the nation, and released them to serve the people of Kenya,” Wanga stated.

ODM still opposition party

Additionally, the party maintained that it would continue to play its role as the Minority party in the two houses of parliament.

On Sunday, August 18, 2024, the Wiper party leader indicated that he was the substantive opposition leader following OD’s decision to work with the Kenya-Kwanza administration.

Wanga said that the ODM party has the highest number of representatives in Azimio and that position makes them the automatic opposition party.

“We wish to reiterate the obvious, that House leadership is about numbers in the house, not those in government,” Wanga noted.

Additionally, ODM said that their members had disproportionately borne the brunt of government excesses, with several of them killed and maimed during demonstrations.

“This has to be about the sacrifices made. Thus far, ODM has borne the highest brunt in terms of casualties; people killed, maimed or wounded while expressing opposition to Kenya Kwanza policies,” the party observed.