By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 4 January 2026 - The Luo Council of Elders has stepped into the unfolding debate within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), warning against what it termed the deliberate misquotation and politicisation of remarks by party leader Oburu Oginga, amid rising tensions over the party’s post-Raila future.
Led by Deputy Ker of the Luo Community James Ayaga, the Council said Oburu’s recent statements on ODM’s presidential candidature had been taken out of context by politicians seeking to advance selfish interests, at a time when the party is navigating sensitive succession and realignment questions ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The elders were responding to remarks made by Oburu on 31 December 2025, in which he cited the ODM constitution to argue that the party leader is, by default, the presidential flagbearer if the party opts to contest elections on its own.
Oburu stated that the constitution clearly designates the party leader as the presidential candidate, adding that anyone harbouring presidential ambitions within ODM should align themselves with that reality or seek another political vehicle.
While the comments triggered sharp reactions within ODM, the Luo Council of Elders framed them as an attempt to restore internal order rather than shut down debate.
Ayaga said Oburu was merely articulating established party doctrine, noting that in most political parties, the leader is either the automatic flagbearer or the key decision-maker on who carries the party’s presidential ticket.
According to the elders, Oburu’s position reflects institutional authority rather than personal ambition, with the party leader retaining the discretion to either run for president or endorse another senior party figure.
They argued that portraying the remarks as exclusionary risks misleading the public and deepening divisions within the party.
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The intervention by the elders comes against the backdrop of visible unease within ODM following the death of its longterm leader Raila Odinga on 15 October 2025, which has opened up internal contestation over leadership, direction and alliances.
Several leaders have faulted Oburu’s comments as premature and politically damaging.
Saboti MP Caleb Amisi emerged as one of the most vocal critics, accusing ODM leaders of “chest-thumping” and warning that alienating members with presidential ambitions could weaken the party.
Amisi invoked the legacy of the late Raila, arguing that the former prime minister would have handled internal disagreements with greater accommodation and consensus-building.
His remarks highlighted broader anxieties within ODM, including fears that internal intolerance and factionalism—often framed around perceived alliances with either former President Uhuru Kenyatta or President William Ruto—could erode the party’s support base ahead of 2027.
The exchange underscores a critical moment for ODM as it transitions from a party long defined by Raila Odinga’s leadership to one grappling with succession, constitutional interpretation and political relevance in a shifting national landscape.
How the party manages these debates may determine whether it emerges unified or further fragmented as the next election cycle approaches.
