The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party is facing a major internal crisis as rival camps from Western and Nyanza regions emerge, threatening a split in the 22-year-old political movement. At the center of the fallout is ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna’s declaration that the party should not support President William Ruto’s re-election in 2027 a position sharply contrasting with sentiments expressed by key Nyanza leaders aligned with party leader Raila Odinga.
The dispute spilled into public view over the weekend, with parallel meetings in Kakamega and Kisumu counties revealing deep divisions. In Kakamega, Western Kenya leaders backed Sifuna’s stance and defended him against criticism from Luo Nyanza MPs. Budalangi MP Raphael Wanjala and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi demanded that Sifuna be protected, with Osotsi even threatening to resign if the secretary-general is pushed out.
“Sifuna is not against ODM; he wants to bring the party back on track,” said Wanjala, while Osotsi maintained that no decision has been made on whom ODM will support in 2027.
Meanwhile, in Kisumu, Nyanza leaders, led by Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, attacked Sifuna for what they termed as undermining ODM’s engagement with President Ruto. Alego Usonga MP Sam Atandi declared that the region had already decided to back Ruto and dismissed Sifuna’s dissent as inconsequential.
Even Raila’s elder brother, Senator Oburu Odinga, defended the party’s working relationship with Ruto’s UDA, urging Sifuna to respect the party’s collective decisions. “The arrangement with UDA was ratified by ODM,” he said.
The Western bloc, long perceived as junior partners in ODM, is now demanding equal treatment within the party or threatening to chart their own course.
In response to the escalating tensions, Raila Odinga has called for a Central Management Committee meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, to address the divisions and attempt to chart a unified way forward ahead of the 2027 polls. The outcome could determine whether ODM survives its latest internal storm or fractures along regional lines.
