Orengo: Major hurdle in ODM unity is William Ruto
By Ndiritu Wanjiru, May 6, 2026Siaya Governor James Orengo has weighed in on the ongoing efforts to unify factions within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), saying the biggest obstacle to internal cohesion is that the party’s political environment has been shaped by President William Ruto.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with K24 TV on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, Orengo, while answering questions on whether the Linda Mwananchi faction and the Linda Ground faction within ODM could sort out their differences and collaborate in building the party in the run-up to the next political contest, has said that it is a matter of whether leaders are going to be ideological rather than transactional and whether they will not be dependent upon the personal ambitions of their political party leaders.
“If we don’t personalise, then it will work. But if it is transactional, in which people want offices and status, that can be difficult. But if you look at ODM as a movement of the people and for the people and believe that the ideals that it stands for must be prosecuted irrespective of who is in office, then resolving those differences cannot be difficult. The problem that I see is that. The major hurdle that we have is the person called William Ruto,” Orengo said.
The statements from the governor have put the spotlight on the wider political dynamic that is playing out involving external pressure in the ODM party and the dynamics of state power in complicating internal party cohesion.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), one of the most powerful political parties in Kenya, has experienced internal differences in the recent past over the strategy and direction of its leadership as well as its positioning within the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Orengo slams broad-based government
The comments of Orengo provide a new dimension to the discussions that frame ODM unity not only as an internal negotiation but also as one that is influenced by the national political order in which President William Ruto works with the antagonising factions within the ODM party, Linda Mwananchi and Linda Ground, glued to different opinions on the decision to support the re-election bid of William Ruto in the 2027 elections.
Siaya Senator James Orengo has also cast doubt on the legality and formal existence of the broad-based government arrangement between the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), saying there is no written or signed agreement to support its formation.
Siaya Governor James Orengo has said that unity within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) cannot be achieved if party leader Oburu Odinga continues to engage only one faction while sidelining the other.
Orengo noted that from the meetings held by the Linda Mwananchi faction, including one in Kisumu, it is evident that the group aligned with Oburu Odinga lacks public influence.