As the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) celebrates 20 years of existence, People Daily Digital has compiled a list of the people who have had the honour to serve the veteran party in the influential Secretary General position.

Anyang’ Nyong’o

The current Kisumu Governor was the pioneer Secretary General (SG) of ODM after the party’s formal registration. Nyong’o held the position from 2007 to 2012.

He was the SG during the 2007 elections and played a key role in the party’s early consolidation as it joined the CORD coalition to challenge President Mwai Kibaki’s Party of National Unity (PNU).

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Ababu Namwamba

Considered a brilliant young leader, Namwamba rose to the helm of ODM in 2012 as a dynamic and charismatic figure.

However, he faced a disgraced exit from the party in July 2016 after a four-year tenure with the orange outfit.

In an allegorical fashion, Namwamba resigned as ODM SG, claiming he was “given a gun without bullets.

Edwin Sifuna

A young and articulate lawyer, Sifuna is the incumbent SG, having marked his seventh year in office in February 2025.

Appointed to succeed Ababu Namwamba in February 2018, Sifuna has emerged as a leading voice among the country’s youthful politicians.

His combative stance against ODM’s role in the broad-based government with President William Ruto has recently put the Nairobi Senator at odds with a section of the party’s top leadership.

The legal mind, however, found a constant defender in the late Raila Odinga, and much speculation surrounds his role in the post-Raila era.

In marking his seventh year as SG, he jokingly stated that it was easy being an SG:

Easy being SG

“Time does fly when you are having fun. It’s 7 years to the day today! It’s very easy to be the SG of ODM. You just need to follow the blueprint left by Gerald Otieno Kajwang. Loyalty. Fidelity. Faithfulness. Easy as ABC,” Sifuna posted on his X page.

Among other politicians who played a major role in the party but never held the SG position is the late Otieno Kajwang’.

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The former Mbita MP (now Suba South) is regarded as a true ODM soldier and loyal ally to Raila Odinga.

Kajwang’ is famously remembered for his revolutionary song “Bado Mapambano” and his powerful speech, “Baba, while you were away.”

A natural mobiliser, Kajwang’ has been celebrated for his charm and knack for commanding crowds with little effort.

Unofficial SG holders

Meanwhile, according to records, Jane Wangui also served in ODM, albeit when the party was initially in the hands of lawyer Mugambi Imanyara, who first registered it as a political outfit before transferring ownership to Raila Odinga.

Once the transfer agreement was formalised, Wangui was appointed Secretary for Special Programmes in the party’s National Executive Council. Agnes Zani, a long-time ally of Raila Odinga, is among the few women who have held the SG post—though only in an acting capacity.

Zani, who now serves as the chair of the Broad-Based Implementation Committee, was perceived to lack the grassroots touch and political firepower typically associated with the position.