Raila Odinga has urged members of his Orange Democratic Movement to tread carefully when speaking about the party’s plans for the 2027 presidential election. But in the same breath, he suggested ODM may not be sitting out the race.
Speaking at the party’s 20th anniversary celebrations, the veteran opposition leader asked his members to stay disciplined. “Don’t commit the party to some things that have not been discussed,” he told supporters. Then came a pointed question: “Who told you ODM does not have a candidate in 2027?”
The remarks hinted at the possibility of ODM fronting its own presidential contender, though Mr. Odinga stopped short of saying whether he himself would be on the ballot. Instead, he emphasised unity. “As ODM, we have a clear plan that we have agreed on, and let us implement it. Other decisions will be made when the time comes,” he said.
His comments land at a delicate moment. Some ODM officials have bristled at speculation that the party could align with President William Ruto in 2027. Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, the party’s secretary general, has been among the loudest voices against such a move.
“Raila himself has said that this is a democratic party and any member is free to speak their mind,” Mr. Sifuna said last month. “Yet some thugs are saying I cannot hold views independent of the party just because I am the secretary-general, that I represent the party at all times.”
The senator has warned he would leave ODM if it backs President Ruto, a position echoed privately by other members who see such an alliance as unthinkable.
Mr. Odinga, who has contested five presidential races over three decades, has yet to reveal whether he plans another run. For now, he appears intent on keeping his party in line while leaving open the possibility that ODM will once again field a candidate of its own.
The balancing act reflects ODM’s enduring challenge: holding its coalition together while plotting a path forward in Kenya’s restless political landscape.
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