A group of senior leaders from Kenya’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has pushed back against growing talk of a political pact with the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA), drawing a firm line between cooperation and co-option.
Speaking at a rally in Busia on Sunday, Siaya Governor James Orengo said ODM would not join a government whose priorities it does not share. The party’s focus, he said, remains on the daily struggles of ordinary Kenyans, not on bargaining for power.
“Baba Raila Odinga alisema hatutaki viti, tunataka wananchi wapate haki zao,” Mr Orengo told the crowd, invoking the party leader’s long-held stance. Jobs are scarce, he added, and the economy is under strain. Those realities, he said, make any alliance with UDA untenable.
“Sasa tunasema hatuwezi kuingia kwa UDA kamwe, kamwe, kamwe,” he said.
Governor Orengo argued that ODM must retain its political independence and prepare to contest the next election on its own terms, including fielding a presidential candidate.
“ODM ndio inaweza kutengeneza serikali,” he said. “Hakuna mtu atatulazimisha kuingia kwa serikali ambayo hatukubaliani nayo.”
The same message was echoed by the party’s secretary-general, Edwin Sifuna, who said ODM could not be pressured into any arrangement it does not support. He dismissed calls for him to keep quiet or step aside as misplaced.
“Wanasema Sifuna anyamaze ama afurushwe kwa chama,” he said. “That is not how the party works.”
Mr Sifuna also sought to clarify confusion around a previous agreement between ODM and UDA, saying it was limited in scope and time. The document, he said, bore only two signatures, those of President William Ruto and Mr Odinga and did not establish a coalition or provide for any extension.
“We did not provide for any extension of that agreement,” he said, adding that a committee formed under the deal is expected to submit its final report by March 7, 2026.
Questions about ODM’s readiness for a future presidential race were raised and quickly rebutted by Kisii Senator Richard Onyoka. He challenged claims that the party lacks credible contenders.
“Si kuna Sifuna hapa? Si tuko na Babu hapa?” he asked, pointing to the party’s bench of younger leaders.
Mr Onyoka also turned the focus to long-standing grievances in western Kenya, particularly the unresolved crises at Mumias and Nzoia sugar factories. Communities in the region, he said, were demanding answers before any political engagement could move forward.
“The people of Busia have said that before you can discuss anything with ODM, first tell them what you did in Mumias and Nzoia Sugar,” he said, adding that a government that fails to protect its most vulnerable has lost its moral claim to power.
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino struck a defiant note, warning against intimidation of outspoken leaders. Even threats of expulsion, he said, would not silence dissent.
“Hatuna woga,” Babu said. “Hata wakitufukuza tuko tayari kurudi kwa by-election.”
ODM, he added, must remain faithful to the ideals laid down by its founder.
“Chama ya ODM lazima iendelee mahali baba aliachia.”
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