ODM Rifts deepen as parallel factions hold separate rallies in Kakamega

ODM party leader Dr Oburu Odinga was forced to attend two separate gatherings organised by rival camps allied to Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa and Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya, underscoring the depth of the internal wrangles.

The first meeting was held in Mabole, Butere Constituency, while the second took place in Kakamega town, with both sides claiming to be legitimate ODM delegates.

Dr Odinga was accompanied by ODM Deputy Party Leader and Kisii Governor Simba Arati, party chairperson Gladys Wanga, and several governors.

Speaking in Butere, Dr Odinga acknowledged the confusion surrounding the meetings, saying he had been invited to the area for a breakfast and lunch engagement, only to find large groups of delegates from different camps laying claim to official party recognition.

Attempts by the ODM leader to broker unity between the rival factions appeared to falter after CS Oparanya, who had been expected at the Kakamega town meeting, failed to attend.

Leaders allied to the Kakamega town faction said the Cabinet Secretary left the county shortly after the Butere meeting, dealing a blow to reconciliation efforts.

The standoff has now brought into sharp focus the question of who holds legitimate authority as ODM chairperson in Kakamega County, with competing claims emerging from the two camps.

Governor Barasa’s allies insisted that delegates had resolved to include him in the party’s technical negotiation team, while leaders from the Butere faction downplayed the significance of the earlier meeting, describing it as a courtesy engagement.

ODM Deputy Party Leader Simba Arati openly accused CS Oparanya of fuelling divisions within the party instead of working to strengthen unity. Arati claimed the internal wrangles were weakening ODM at a critical moment and called on the Cabinet Secretary to work with the party’s county leadership rather than undermine it.

Dr Odinga told delegates that ODM was preparing to enter talks centred on power-sharing arrangements, stressing that negotiations would be guided by the principle of give-and-take.

His allies, however, questioned why some members of the party’s top leadership, including Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, were perceived to be taking divergent positions.

During the Kakamega meeting, delegates also pushed for zoning of electoral seats in ODM strongholds as one of their key demands in the ongoing talks between ODM and the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA). Several leaders cautioned against undermining party structures, insisting that ODM’s internal organs must be respected.

The meeting further reaffirmed ODM’s commitment to ensuring that victims of recent political protests are compensated within the shortest time possible, with leaders calling on the government to expedite the process.