East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Winnie Odinga has declared that the late Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga is irreplaceable, accusing some party officials of scrambling for control and attempting to push others out as internal divisions widen ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking in Kibra, Nairobi, on Sunday, the first-term legislator warned that ODM risked losing its identity if internal power struggles and factional battles were allowed to overshadow the values and sacrifices upon which the party was built.
“We were passengers and Baba was the driver. Then one day Baba was no more. Suddenly, those who were closest to him rushed to the steering wheel, all pulling it in different directions, while pushing the rest of us like luggage,” Winnie said, drawing cheers from supporters.
Her remarks come amid growing tension within ODM over the party’s future direction, its cooperation with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA), and who should lead negotiations for a possible political arrangement ahead of the 2027 polls.
Following Raila Odinga’s death in October, Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga assumed a central leadership role within the party and has publicly stated that ODM would pursue a stronger and more equitable power-sharing deal in any future alliance.
Oburu, Raila’s elder brother, has said ODM would seek to “enter government through the front door” rather than through informal arrangements, dismissing internal disputes as “side shows” and insisting he has the grassroots mandate to steer the party.
However, signs of strain have persisted, particularly in Western Kenya and parts of Nairobi, where rival camps are increasingly vocal over the party’s leadership and strategic direction.
In an apparent reference to these divisions, Winnie accused some party officials of attempting to silence dissent and force out members who question prevailing decisions.
“Nobody will be removed from ODM. There is no day that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga ever told anyone to leave this party,” she said. “They say we are questioning too many things, and when we do, they tell us to leave. If we leave, who will they remain with?”
She insisted that ODM did not belong to a few individuals but to its supporters across the country.
“This party belongs to the people,” she said.
In a fiery address, Winnie said she would not be intimidated into silence, vowing to openly challenge what she described as worrying trends within the party.
“As the last born, when you see things going wrong, lazima uchome — you have to spill the beans. I have come kuchoma,” she said. “Threats do not move me. You cannot scare me.”
The outspoken lawmaker said disquiet within ODM was widespread and could not be ignored, accusing some figures of having never genuinely believed in Raila Odinga’s political cause.
“There are people who never believed in Baba; they were just using him. Some were never there during ODM’s struggles,” she said.
Distancing the Odinga family from the emerging internal camps, Winnie, who was accompanied by her younger brother Raila Odinga Jr, said the family was not aligned to any faction.
“As a family, we are not in either faction. We are team Baba,” she said.
Looking ahead to the party’s National Delegates Convention (NDC), expected to be pivotal in shaping ODM’s leadership and strategy ahead of 2027, Winnie warned that the meeting would be contentious.
“We want to go to the NDC, and things will be hot,” she said.
She also dismissed claims by some party officials that they were acting on Raila Odinga’s instructions, describing such assertions as misleading.
“Those saying Baba said this or that are not well mannered,” she said.
ODM’s internal debate is unfolding as the party intensifies grassroots mobilisation to strengthen its bargaining power in anticipated coalition talks with UDA.
