East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Member of Parliament Winnie Odinga has dismissed claims that dissenting voices within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) risk being pushed out of the party, insisting that ODM remains open to divergent views.
Speaking during a rally in Kibera on Sunday, Winnie said no member has ever been instructed by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to leave the party, adding that ODM must remain democratic to sustain its grassroots support and political relevance.
“Nobody will be removed from ODM. There is no day that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga told anyone to go away from the party,” Winnie said.
“They say that we are questioning too many things in the party, and when we do so, they say we should leave the party. If we leave, who will they remain with? This party belongs to the people,” she added.
During the rally, Winnie also took aim at a section of ODM leaders she accused of pursuing selfish interests and deliberately attempting to exclude her from the party’s internal affairs.
She warned that she would not remain silent when things go wrong within the party, despite resistance from some quarters.
Winnie said she is fully aware of the pushback she faces but maintained that speaking out is a responsibility she cannot abandon.
The legislator, who is the daughter of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, told supporters that her upbringing and role in public service compel her to call out wrongdoing whenever she encounters it.
Her remarks come days after ODM party leader Oburu Oginga similarly ruled out the possibility of expelling any party members.
Oburu said ODM intends to rely on its nationwide structures, numerical strength and long political history to remain a formidable force, as was the case during Raila Odinga’s leadership at the party’s peak.
“As ODM, we must prepare ourselves, and that can only be achieved when we are together. We have no desire to chase anyone from ODM. If anyone wants to leave, they should do so willingly,” Oburu said.
He added that party unity is critical if ODM is to negotiate effectively with other political formations.
“As long as we have unity, we shall negotiate with other parties from a point of strength and not weakness. We are the biggest party in the country, and we cannot approach the negotiating table when we are weak,” he said.
Oburu noted that while ODM welcomes internal debate, the party will take steps to safeguard organisational unity as part of its broader political strategy.
He reiterated that ODM remains committed to the broad-based government arrangement, which he said will stay in place until 2027, and revealed that the party will soon begin engagements with other political parties, starting with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), its current partner in the broad-based framework.
