The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) spokesperson, Philip Etale, has dismissed claims of a fallout within the party, saying ODM remains intact and there is no rift as the public might perceive.
In a statement shared on his social media pages on Tuesday, January 20, 2025, the ODM pressman urged the public to ignore the current drama being witnessed within the Orange Party.
He said that what is happening, where ODM members appear to have different views on the direction the party should take ahead of the 2027 general elections, should not be mistaken for division.
According to Etale, what appears to be a rift within the party, with leaders seemingly speaking in different languages, is simply the “D” in ODM, which stands for democracy, at play, and not conflict.
He went on to state that there will never be a crack within the ODM party, urging Kenyans to ignore rift claims which, according to him, are being perpetuated by the party’s adversaries.
Etale stated:
“The one thing I want to tell you with authority is that ODM is one and will forever be so. Forget the sensational things being said right, left and centre by our adversaries. ODM is united, and the D in the party is at work. Thank you.”
The rift narrative within ODM escalated on Sunday, January 18, 2025, when Winnie Odinga, the daughter of the late Raila Odinga, held parallel rallies after a Linda Ground ODM rally that had been led by her uncle and party leader, Oburu Odinga.
Winnie Odinga did not spare the ODM top leadership, with Oburu at the helm, stating that most individuals in the party’s top ranks did not have the interests of the late Raila Odinga at heart and only used him for their own benefit.
She called for an overhaul of the ODM leadership and the accommodation of dissenting voices, saying there was no hurry to appoint a successor after Raila Odinga, who steered the ODM ship for over 20 years since its inception in 2005.
Elsewhere within the ODM party hierarchy, Oburu Odinga chaired a Central Management Committee (CMC) meeting in Vipingo, Kilifi County, where the party resolved to initiate structured talks with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) as part of its preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Notably, leaders such as Nairobi Senator and ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, as well as Deputy Party Leader Geoffrey Osotsi, were absent from the high-level talks.
According to Etale, all these developments within the Orange Party, which has remained vibrant for over two decades despite not clinching the presidency, are part of democracy, a core principle of ODM.
