ODM leader Oburu Oginga has clarified the party’s position on the Deputy President seat ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Speaking on Wednesday, February 11, he said the seat remains a key target for the Orange Democratic Movement. 

Oburu addressed claims that his earlier remarks had been misunderstood regarding ODM’s interest in the position and the current office holder.

“There was something that people misinterpreted. They claimed that I said that ODM does not want the DP seat, but that’s the position we have our eyes on. What I said is that we do not have a personal grudge or issue with Kindiki, but that seat is a public position,” he said.

This comes after Oburu dismissed claims of political rivalry with the Deputy President, insisting that the party’s engagement with the Kenya Kwanza administration is driven by national interest, not power contests.

“For the Deputy President, we do not want your seat. You are our friend,” Oburu said during the launch of Nyota programme in Kisumu.

“As we negotiate, we will negotiate for what our people deserve and for all Kenyans.”

Oburu said ODM’s cooperation with President William Ruto’s administration follows years of political contestation and the loss of his brother, veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga’s long-time ally, which reshaped the party’s approach to national politics.

“ODM has collaborated with UDA in the broad-based government. Since we lost my brother and he left us in this situation, we decided to work together,” he said.

Oburu also turned his criticism toward former President Uhuru Kenyatta, accusing him of sidelining ODM despite past political cooperation.

“I would like Uhuru, who was the President. He was with my brother after the handshake yet he did not even give us one cabinet seat and he lied to us that he would deliver the presidency.

“He lied to Raila that he would make him the president, yet the election was stolen right under his nose, and he did nothing. Now we are asking him to let us do what we want to as ODM and that he stops interfering with ODM,” he added.

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Oburu Oginga has clarified the party’s position on future political arrangements, stating that ODM is not in a hurry to commit to either a one-term or two-term deal as coalition talks continue.

Speaking on the party’s internal resolutions, Oburu said the position was agreed upon during previous Central Committee meetings and reaffirmed at the National Delegates Conference.

According to Oburu, ODM’s immediate priority is not making premature political declarations but consolidating its structures and strengthening its bargaining power ahead of negotiations.

“This is one of the things we agreed as a party. We are not in a hurry to say one term. We are not in a hurry to say two terms,” he said.

He emphasized that ODM is preparing itself strategically to enter negotiations from a position of strength rather than urgency.

Oburu revealed that the party will first engage its existing political partners like the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA), before exploring discussions with other formations.

“We start with our current partners and as we move on, if we don’t agree, we move on to discuss with other formations which are there,” he explained.

This approach signals ODM’s intention to keep its options open as the battle for the 2027 elections heat.

In the event that negotiations with both current and alternative partners fail, Oburu made it clear that ODM is prepared to chart its own path.

“If there is no agreement with any, we go alone as ODM,” he stated.

Oburu expressed satisfaction with the direction the party has taken, noting that the strategy reflects a unified and deliberate position.

“I think that is the position of the party, and I’m very happy with it. That is what we have been pursuing,” he said.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has admitted to working with the government but clarified that it does not mean that he has ceded any county functions to the state.

Speaking during the State of the County Address on Wednesday, February 11, Sakaja explained that his county also doubled as the capital city and that cooperation with the state is inevitable.

He noted that the government had its own roles to perform in Nairobi and that there are laws that clearly distinguish its responsibilities.

“Nairobi is just not a county, it is the capital city. Of course, collaboration with the national government is inevitable; it is, in fact, encouraged.

“We are pursuing procedures using the Urban Areas and ities At to enhance infrastructure support, but the city will continue to be governed as a county government,” Sakaja stated.

The county boss vowed not to allow a repeat of what happened in 2020, when the Nairobi Metropolitan Services took the reins of the city.

He claimed that the decision was the worst thing to happen to the deoled unit and was a direct attack on devolution.

“The NMS experiment left us with a Ksh16 billionhole in the pending bills, low staff morale due to mistreatment, and was a defilement of devolution,” Sakaja reiterated.

The Governor alleged that there were individuals out to present the county leadership as a failure so that the state would take over.

He reassured the Nairobi County Assembly that he would never surrender the functions of the county to anyone, let alone the state.

His address came amid reports that he had agreed to a deal with President William Ruto to share responsibilities in three sectors.

These include garbage collection and disposal, public works and water collection and supply to the residents of Nairobi.

The meeting is alleged to have happened at State House, Nairobi.

The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has dismissed as false a widely circulated notice alleging that the party had fired its ICT Director. 

In an update on Wednesday, February 11, the ruling party flagged the document, which claimed he was fired over financial impropriety and unauthorized data disclosure, as fabricated.

The fake notice, styled as an official party communication, claimed that an individual named in the document was not permitted to conduct any party-related business or act on behalf of the party in any capacity.

It added that the party would not be held liable for any actions undertaken by him.

This comes weeks after Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala has alleged that the ruling UDA Party is taking its secretariat staff and agents to Uganda for paramilitary training.

In a statement on Tuesday, January 27, Malala said he has reliable information of the UDA staff being taken to Uganda for training.

Malala challenged UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar to dispute the allegations, saying he would produce photographic evidence to substantiate his claims.

“UDA Party is taking secretariat staff and agents to Uganda for paramilitary training. I have reliable information, and I want the Secretary General of UDA to challenge me. We will produce photographic evidence and require them to present their passports,” he alleged.

The former UDA Secretary General went on to allege that Omar and other UDA officials have been in Uganda for 60 days.

Malala questioned the intention behind the UDA staff being taken for paramilitary training and demanded an explanation from the ruling party.

“We want the UDA party to tell us what they are training their secretariat and what training is being done in Uganda,” Malala stated.