About 18 months to the general polls, rifts in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) are intensifying after party leader Oburu Odinga publicly criticised Secretary General Edwin Sifuna for taking positions he claimed were not official party policy.

On Saturday, February 7, 2026, the outfit’s Deputy Party Leader and Vihiga Senator, Geoffrey Osotsi, broke ranks, insisting that critical decisions, including candidate nominations for the 2027 elections, require thorough party consultation.

Osotsi warned that failing to field a presidential or deputy presidential candidate or entering a coalition with the ruling UDA could severely weaken ODM ahead of the elections, arguing that the party must remain independent and not be influenced by external forces.

“The party leader, Oburu Odinga, whom I respect, is my colleague. I think he needs to consult more, because I don’t recall any party organ deciding that we will not field a presidential candidate or that we are supporting someone else. We have never said we are not contesting for deputy president or going for nothing,” Osotsi said.

“The surest way to finish ODM in 2027 is, first, to enter a coalition with UDA. Second, to not field a presidential candidate or running mate. ODM will be an obsolete party if that happens. I want to ask leaders who are quick to support such moves to reconsider.”

The tensions emerged after Oburu Odinga slammed Sifuna on Friday, February 6, 2026, accusing him of conflating personal views with official party positions and fostering internal divisions.

In a letter, Oburu emphasised that all current party leaders, including Sifuna, are serving in accordance with ODM’s resolutions, underscoring the party’s adherence to its constitution and the rule of law.

Sifuna-Oburu tiff

Addressing Sifuna’s repeated claims that his election as party leader was illegitimate, Oburu scoffed, saying it is ironic because Sifuna had previously held the Secretary-General post without dispute, having been duly elected by the National Governing Council, pointing out a clear inconsistency in his stance.

“ODM has, since its inception, demonstrated fidelity to its Constitution and to the rule of law. The same principle has put every individual in their rightful position, including that of Sen. Sifuna,” he said.

“When Sifuna questioned the legality of some national officials on the basis that they were elected by the National Governing Council, he overlooked a fundamental fact: he himself was elected Secretary General by the same organ in February 2018 and discharged the functions of that office fully and effectively until February 2022, when the National Delegates Convention subsequently endorsed him. One cannot selectively invalidate the very processes that conferred legitimacy upon oneself.”

Oburu stopped short of mentioning any disciplinary measures against Sifuna, as the party remains polarised between those backing Sifuna’s call for autonomy and those favouring collaboration with UDA.

Sifuna, for his part, has stood firm, declaring he will not step down and insisting that only a delegates’ conference has the authority to change his position.

He also voiced apprehensions about possible government interference in ODM’s financial matters, which Ruth Odinga, Oburu’s sister, has recently come to Sifuna’s defence, arguing that his position on a potential UDA alliance represents legitimate party concerns rather than insubordination, and she drew comparisons to the political manoeuvres of the late Raila Odinga.