Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Oburu Oginga has defended the party's working arrangement with President William Ruto, insisting that the party is not supporting the Head of State blindly as divisions deepen over its political direction ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Addressing thousands of supporters through a video link during the party's rally at Nairobi's Jacaranda Grounds on Saturday, Oburu said ODM had clear structures to guide its engagement with Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA), dismissing suggestions that the party had surrendered its political independence.
“We are in this broad-based government and we are not there blindly,” Oburu said.
“We are there consciously and we are there knowing what we are doing. We have structures through which we work.”
The remarks came as ODM brought its month-long Mwezi wa Baba commemorations to a close, with the Jacaranda gathering also serving as a demonstration of the party's political strength following the death of its longtime leader, Raila Odinga, in October 2025.
Oburu, who could not attend the rally because of health challenges, told supporters that the current arrangement with UDA should not be mistaken for a formal coalition.
“We as a party, we are negotiating,” he said, adding that ODM would not enter into a formal coalition without first holding discussions and reaching an agreement.
He disclosed that ODM and UDA had each nominated five representatives to negotiate a coalition agreement ahead of any decision on the party's possible support for Ruto's re-election.
The negotiations are expected to determine what ODM stands to gain from the arrangement, including its representation in a possible future government.
The question of whether ODM should support Ruto unconditionally or first secure a binding power-sharing agreement has exposed divisions within the party.
A section of the leadership has backed continued cooperation with the President, while other leaders have insisted that the party must secure written guarantees before committing its political support.
Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang has cautioned the party against relying on political goodwill, arguing that past political arrangements should inform its approach to negotiations.
The divisions have placed Oburu under pressure to maintain party unity while negotiating an arrangement that does not alienate members opposed to working with Ruto.
Saturday's rally was attended by ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, Kisii Governor Simba Arati, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho and National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja was also among those present as the party sought to demonstrate its organisational strength in the capital.
But the show of force comes against the backdrop of a growing challenge from Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who has established a separate political platform after falling out with the ODM leadership over its engagement with Ruto.
On Friday, Sifuna officially unveiled the headquarters of the Linda Mwananchi Movement in Lavington, Nairobi, in an event attended by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa and other opposition figures.
The movement has positioned itself as an alternative political vehicle ahead of the 2027 elections, with Sifuna emerging as its preferred presidential candidate.
Sifuna's team has proposed a national leadership structure, with Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya expected to head its presidential campaign. The movement has also scheduled a National Delegates Convention for November 13 to formalise its structures.
The launch has added another dimension to ODM's internal crisis, with the party now facing the prospect of losing some of its leaders and supporters to a rival political organisation seeking to mobilise voters around an anti-Ruto platform.
The political contest is particularly significant because Jacaranda Grounds was also the venue for an earlier Linda Mwananchi rally, where Sifuna and his allies mobilised supporters critical of the Kenya Kwanza administration.
ODM's decision to hold its rally at the same venue was seen as an attempt to reassert its influence in Nairobi and demonstrate that the party retains the capacity to mobilise supporters without Raila at the helm.
Oburu, however, insisted that ODM's identity and political influence were built over many years and could not be attributed to one individual.
He paid tribute to his late brother, saying Raila's leadership was founded on his political struggle rather than family connections.
“If family ties had determined leadership, I would have been the one leading the party,” he said.
He urged supporters to continue with Raila's legacy of fighting for freedom and political rights, saying the October commemorations were intended not only to remember his death but also to celebrate his contribution to the country.
The competing political developments leave ODM facing a difficult balancing act: negotiating a possible alliance with Ruto while retaining its identity as an opposition movement and preventing a further split in its ranks.
With the 2027 elections approaching, the outcome of the negotiations with UDA and the growing influence of Sifuna's political movement could determine whether ODM remains a united national political force or enters the next election cycle weakened by internal divisions.
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