Amisi calls for economic renaissance in Kenya, draws lessons from ODM’s origins
By Emmanuel Rono, April 6, 2026Saboti Member of Parliament Caleb Amisi has called for the birth of a new movement in Kenya focused on economic justice and recovery, drawing a direct line to the historical origins of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Taking to his X account on Monday, April 6, 2026, Amisi urged Kenyans not to forget the genesis of ODM, noting that the party was fundamentally a movement born out of clamour for constitutional change.
“Let us never forget where the ODM party came from. It was a movement born out of clamour for constitutional change!“ Amisi said.
According to Amisi, ODM was never intended to be just another vehicle to gain power; rather, it was a grassroots idea of the people representing a collective push for a renaissance and total renewal.
Kenya needs renaissance
He argues that Kenya currently needs a renaissance to address economic justice, mirroring the same energy that fueled the constitutional clamour led by Raila Odinga for over two decades.
“Renaissance, too, will be a movement for economic justice and economic recovery. Kenya needs a renaissance!” Amisi said.
“ODM did not just come up as a vehicle to gain power, or just like other vehicles that come up at the election time, came about from the clamour for the new constitution, where we had the orange versus the banana, and the orange won. And then eventually we said okay let’s have the Orange Democratic Movement. It was a movement. It was an idea of the people.”
Kenya’s economic status
Kenya’s financial markets showed firm resilience in the week ending Friday, January 23, 2026, with the shilling holding its ground and healthy reserves underlining stability. These trends are signs of strength amid ongoing global volatility.
The country’s foreign exchange reserves stood strong at $12,219 million as of January 22, 2026. This figure provides a solid buffer, covering an estimated 5.3 months of imports. It comfortably exceeds the CBK’s minimum requirement of four months’ cover, shielding the economy from external shocks.
“This meets CBK’s statutory requirement to endeavour to maintain at least 4 months of import cover,” CBK stated in their weekly bulletin.