Siaya County Governor James Orengo has warned that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) risks being reduced to a small regional party if it chooses to formally work with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Speaking during a burial ceremony in South East Alego on Saturday, February 8, 2025, Orengo said ODM was deliberately built as a national political movement by the late Raila Odinga and should not be allowed to lose its broad national character. He cautioned that aligning too closely with the ruling party could undo years of political groundwork.
“ODM is found more or less in every region. That’s what Raila did. He tried to build a national party, which is ODM. I see an attempt to try and drive it to be purely a Luo party,” Orengo stated.
The outspoken governor added that any cooperation with UDA could push ODM back into being perceived as a regional outfit rooted only in Luo Nyanza, warning party members to be vigilant. “If we choose to work with UDA, ODM is going to be a small party. It will be pushed back to a regional or Luo Nyanza party, which it is not. If we are not careful, it will be driven in that direction,” he said.
However, Orengo maintained that should ODM decide to enter negotiations with UDA, it would do so from a position of strength. He argued that ODM remains the most popular party in the country and would therefore command a broader influence at the negotiating table than the ruling party.
Addressing claims that some party officials were planning to “auction” ODM for personal gain, Orengo said the allegations were factual. Although he threatened to name those involved, he stopped short of mentioning specific individuals.
His remarks are expected to fuel ongoing debate within ODM over its future political direction and potential engagement with the Kenya Kwanza administration.