Homa Bay Governor and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) National Chairperson Gladys Wanga has called on politicians to reject insults, intimidation and violence as political parties intensify their preparations for the 2027 General Election.
Speaking during a political engagement in Baringo County on Sunday, August 30, 2026, Wanga urged leaders to pursue peaceful and persuasive campaigns, saying Kenyans should not be subjected to political confrontations and threats.
“Hatutaki matusi, tunataka siasa ya unyenyekevu, persuasive politics sio ile ya watu kutembea na marungu, mapanga, bows and arrows, kila saa ni kujipiga kifua na matusi kwa leaders, hiyo inaleta vurugu, na mi naomba leaders wote tukue kwa amani,” she said.
Wanga also reaffirmed ODM’s political partnership with President William Ruto, maintaining that the party had already made its position clear regarding its cooperation with the Kenya Kwanza administration.
“Tumeamua sisi ni watu wa ODM, and we will support William Ruto even if you come a hundred times,” she said.
The ODM chairperson used the occasion to criticise former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who currently leads the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), accusing him of promoting politics that focus on specific ethnic communities instead of the country as a whole.
“A man called Rigathi Gachagua; he’s a tribalist. He’s a man who thinks only about certain ethnic communities and not the entire country,” Wanga said.
She contrasted Gachagua’s political approach with ODM’s national outlook, arguing that the party has established support among communities across the country, including minority and marginalised groups.
“That is why this is the home of the Ilchamus in Baringo. This is the home of the coastal people. This is the home of the northeastern people because we are a party that is national,” she said.
Wanga further urged Gachagua to stop directing political criticism towards ODM and its supporters, arguing that the differences between the two political formations were significant.
She also revisited previous political disagreements involving Gachagua and ODM, including remarks concerning the late ODM leader Raila Odinga. Wanga accused the former deputy president of changing his position towards Raila following his death.
ODM Backs Ruto Partnership
Wanga maintained that ODM’s cooperation with President Ruto was a deliberate political decision and insisted that repeated attempts by rival political formations to influence the party would not change its position.
“So even if you come a hundred times, two hundred times, just keep coming. Only don’t come with violence. Just come, but whatever you say, the people have made up their minds,” she said.
Her remarks come as political parties and leaders step up grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 General Election, with rival formations seeking to strengthen their support across different regions.
The political differences between Wanga and Gachagua are not new. The two have previously exchanged criticism over their respective political positions, including Gachagua’s claims regarding ODM’s relationship with President Ruto.
Wanga has previously rejected the possibility of an alliance between ODM and Gachagua, maintaining that the party’s political direction is centred on national inclusion, devolution and its existing cooperation with the government.
Her latest remarks reinforce ODM’s current political position while highlighting the party’s call for peaceful political competition as the country moves closer to the 2027 polls.
