Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Deputy party leader Godfrey Osotsi, on Tuesday, January 20, held a meeting with Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya.
In a statement after the meeting, Osotsi said he deliberated with Governor Natembeya on the emerging issues shaping the country.
The Vihiga Senator also said they discussed the unity of the Mulembe nation, strategies to safeguard the interests of the people of the Western region, and ways to chart a progressive path forward.
“I held a candid and forward-looking engagement with my big brother, Trans Nzoia Governor H.E. George Natembeya.
“We reflected on the emerging issues shaping our country and deliberated on the shared destiny of the Mulembe nation, united by a common purpose to safeguard our people’s interests and chart a progressive path forward,” the ODM Deputy Party leader stated.
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The meeting between the two leaders comes amid calls for Luhya unity by leaders from the western region.
The leaders led by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula have been advocating for the unity of the region ahead of the 2027 General Election.
However, Natembeya and other politicians allied to the DAP-K party have opposed Mudavadi and Wetang’ula, arguing that the region needs new leadership to better champion the interests of its people.
Notably, the meeting between Osostsi and Natembeya comes days after the Vihiga Senator and ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna missed the ODM Central Management Committee meeting in Kilifi County.
Addressing the media after the meeting, ODM party leader Oburu Oginga revealed that Osotsi was outside the country and was unable to attend.
Senator Oburu, however, said the Vihiga Senator sent an apology for missing the meeting.
“Godfrey Osotsi is in South Africa, and he has sent his apologies for being unable to attend. He tried to travel, but he was unable to,” said the ODM party leader.
The notable absence of two key party officials raised eyebrows among ODM members and Kenyans at large during what was a crucial consultative forum.
In a statement accompanying the photos, the party emphasized its commitment to building a strong movement and making ODM stronger and united going into the future.
Among those present were Deputy Party Leader and Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, Party Chairperson Gladys Wanga, Deputy Party Leader Simba Arati, and Party Director of Campaigns and Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, alongside other party officials.
However, the conspicuous absence of Sifuna, who serves as the party’s Secretary-General, and Osotsi, the third Deputy Party Leader, has sparked widespread speculation about the state of unity within the Orange Democratic Party.
The missing leaders’ absence comes against a backdrop of escalating tensions within ODM.
At the centre of the discord is a disagreement over the party’s strategic direction: whether to align with or oppose the government following a bilateral agreement signed during the tenure of the late former party leader, Raila Odinga, which brought ODM into a broad-based government arrangement.
The internal strife has been particularly evident in the relationship between top party officials, with Sifuna and Junet engaged in a series of public disagreements that have exposed the fault lines within the party’s leadership.
