ODM ministers move to stabilise ODM as factional rivalry deepens

ODM Cabinet secretaries serving in President William Ruto’s government have stepped in to help stabilise the party and reposition it as a formidable coalition partner.

For months, ODM has been in turmoil, with its political value beginning to diminish following an acrimonious internal split.

A youthful faction led by Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has piled pressure on the Oburu Oginga-led camp, raising fears that the once dominant party could be losing ground.

Three of its five Cabinet secretaries attended a high-level ODM retreat in Mombasa and pledged to return to the political frontline.

They included National Treasury CS John Mbadi, Mining CS Hassan Joho and their Cooperatives counterpart Wycliffe Oparanya.

Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi and EAC CS Beatrice Askul did not attend as they were in Tanzania with President Ruto.

Before their appointment to Cabinet, the CSs were among the most senior officials in ODM.

 Joho, seen as the Coast regional kingpin, and Oparanya were long-serving deputy party leaders.

Oparanya remains influential in Kakamega County and the larger Western region.

Mbadi served as ODM chairman, while Wandayi was the Minority leader in the National Assembly.

Askul was a member of the party’s National Elections Coordinating Committee, formerly the Elections Board.

Insiders told the Star the move is a calculated effort to steady the outfit and reassert control within the party.

Oburu, 82, has tried to stabilise the party, but insiders say he is struggling to keep pace with high-octane politics.

ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga, a vocal advocate of the two-term position, has fallen out with several leaders, including in her Homa Bay backyard.

The Cabinet secretaries, key figures in the emerging UDA–ODM cooperation, are said to be spearheading a coordinated push to counter the influence of the Linda Mwananchi faction.

As part of the strategy, ODM is planning cross-county rallies as it rolls out an aggressive campaign to reclaim political ground ceded to rival formations.

Mbadi, who has recently taken on a more visible political role, last week held a well-attended rally in Nairobi’s Embakasi constituencies.

 The rally signalled an attempt to reclaim urban support bases that have shown signs of drifting toward the opposition.

During the rally, he urged ODM supporters to remain loyal to the party leadership and dismissed rival factions as divisive.

Addressing a press conference after the two-day retreat, acting secretary general Catherine Omanyo said the party will leverage its members serving in the broad-based government to strengthen itself amid the internal revolt.

“At this retreat, we have covered much ground on ways to effectively deal with new tendencies… leveraging our members serving in government and preparing for the 2027 elections,” Omanyo said.

ODM also announced plans to roll out a series of nationwide engagements aimed at popularising the party’s agenda while rallying support for Ruto’s 2027 re-election bid.

The rival Linda Mwananchi faction, led by Sifuna and Siaya Governor James Orengo, has been gaining traction among grassroots supporters and sections of the youth.

Under the new strategy, a re-energised ODM team is expected to counter this momentum by assuring supporters that the party remains united.

“What is important is that my colleagues and I are here to show the world that we are strong in the party and we support the party,” Oparanya said.

He said their interventions will be channelled through the existing leadership structures.

“Anything we do, we have to do through the leadership that is here. Any issues we have, either through the ministry or the government, we pass through the office,” Oparanya said.

Mbadi backed those sentiments.

“There is always time to lead and time to let others lead. We must give them support. We have come to demonstrate unity in ODM and that ODM is one.”

Reaching out to the rebels is also part of the strategy to steady the 20-year-old party.

According to deputy party leader Simba Arati, ODM will extend an olive branch to the Sifuna team to rebuild unity.

“We are welcoming them to come back and build a strong party. We are not a party that sends people away,” the Kisii governor said.

Speaking during a morning radio show on Tuesday, Sifuna dismissed the calls for a truce, accusing the Oburu Oginga camp of paying lip service to unity.

“Our brothers are not genuine during these talks. Mama Ida Odinga has asked us that we solve the tensions within the party before holding these formal meetings,” he said.

“We have no squabble with anyone. We wish them all the best, but the only thing causing divisions within ODM is some members supporting President Ruto for the 2027 elections. That is the only problem they have with me.”

Political analysts have expressed mixed reactions to the deployment of senior ODM ministers, warning that it may not yield much for the troubled party.

Martin Andati said the trio’s influence, bolstered by their government positions, could help steady ODM by projecting unity and re-energising grassroots structures.

“Time will tell whether it will bear fruit. Some of them had influence, but not as much as before. Most of those ministers were former governors,” Andati told the Star.

However, policy analyst and Mandela Washington Fellow Alfred Makotsi argued the strategy may face limitations due to weakened grassroots connections.

“A key challenge is that these ODM Cabinet secretaries currently lack strong grassroots connection with ordinary wananchi. Their public image tends to come across as elitist, which weakens their ability to resonate with everyday concerns,” Makotsi said.

“As a result, when they defend Ruto’s agenda, it is often perceived less as advocacy for citizens and more as an attempt to protect their political positions.”

City lawyer and author Sandra Ochola, however, downplayed the concern, arguing that performance in office could work to their advantage.

“What ultimately matters to Kenyans is whether those in office deliver tangible results and maintain public confidence,” Ochola said.

INSTANT ANALYSIS

With ODM now walking a political tightrope between cooperation with the ruling administration and maintaining its traditional base, analysts say the effectiveness of the Cabinet Secretaries’ deployment will ultimately depend on how well they balance the two competing pressures.