President William Samoei Ruto on Monday met Members of Parliament from Kakamega County at State House, Nairobi, in talks officially centred on development but unfolding amid a fierce power struggle within the Orange Democratic Movement following the death of longtime party leader Raila Odinga.
Ruto said the meeting focused on accelerating affordable housing projects, construction of modern markets, road upgrades, expansion of Kakamega Airport, completion of Bukhungu Stadium, and improving electricity and water connectivity.
“Our discussions centred on accelerating development projects… We undertake to work with all leaders, irrespective of their political persuasions, to move our country forward and leave no one behind,” Ruto said.
But the political context surrounding the engagement is significant. Since Raila’s death, ODM has been grappling with internal succession battles, with Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga emerging as a key figure in one faction of the party, while Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has positioned himself as a defender of ODM’s opposition identity.
Although elected in Nairobi, Sifuna hails from Western Kenya and has recently consolidated support in the region after resisting attempts by the Oburu-led wing to edge him out of the party leadership. The faction aligned to Oburu is said to favour closer engagement with Ruto’s administration, a move critics within ODM argue risks weakening the party ahead of the next general election.
Sources within ODM claim Ruto has been keen on cultivating the Oburu wing as part of a broader strategy to secure ODM backing in the next polls. The recent push to remove Sifuna from his influential role within the party, insiders say, was part of that struggle. The attempt failed, leaving Sifuna politically bruised but significantly strengthened among sections of the Western grassroots.
“The move against Sifuna backfired. It energised his base,” said an ODM official from Kakamega who requested anonymity.
Analysts now interpret the President’s meeting with Kakamega MPs as a calculated attempt to consolidate influence in a region where Sifuna is gaining ground. By engaging Western leaders directly and pledging development projects, Ruto appears to be positioning himself as a partner in service delivery while subtly reshaping ODM’s internal balance of power.
The stakes have escalated further with Sifuna’s camp planning a major rally in Kakamega in the coming days. The rally is expected to serve as a show of strength and a platform to rally Western Kenya behind what his allies describe as “a principled, independent ODM.”
“This is about protecting the party from being absorbed,” a member of Sifuna’s team said. “Western Kenya must decide its political future.”
Western Kenya remains a critical voting bloc in national politics. With Raila no longer in the picture, the battle for control of ODM structures in the region has intensified, drawing in the State House and reshaping alliances.
As development promises dominate official statements, the undercurrents tell a deeper story — one of succession, strategy and survival — as both Ruto and Sifuna seek to define the future of ODM and the political direction of Western Kenya.
