Africa-Press – Kenya. Siaya Governor James Orengo on Sunday insisted that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) must remain politically independent and field its own presidential candidate in the 2027 General Election.
Orengo dismissed any suggestion that ODM could be coerced into joining a government arrangement it does not support. The governor warned against internal and external attempts to dilute the party’s identity.
“No one will force us to join a government that we are not in agreement with. ODM must form a government in 2027. ODM must have a presidential candidate,” Orengo said.
The governor also took aim at individuals he accused of engaging in what he termed “business” dealings using the party’s name, issuing a stern warning to ODM members and affiliates.
“We are warning those in business with the ODM party that when they reach Busia, they should not be entertained,” he said.
Orengo has consistently argued that ODM’s strength lies in its independence and clarity of purpose, warning that political compromises could weaken the party’s appeal to its base.
This is even as ODM’s strategy has sparked debate within opposition ranks, particularly over engagement with the Kenya Kwanza administration and the party’s broader political posture.
While some leaders have signaled openness to structured engagement and institutional processes, others have called for sustained activism and pressure politics.
Orengo spoke on Sunday at the ‘Linda Mwananchi’ Tour in Busia. He was joined by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, and other leaders.
The group of ODM leaders on Sunday began the Linda Mwananchi Tours in Busia County. The initiative is expected to involve engagements with wananchi across different regions.
The tour is intended as a multi-stop for grassroots engagement across key constituencies to engage ordinary Kenyans on governance, cost of living concerns, and political direction ahead of the 2027 election cycle.
Speaking during the tour, Babu Owino cast doubt on the direction of ODM, declaring that he no longer recognises the party in its current form. Babu Owino suggested that the opposition outfit had drifted from its activist roots, accusing it of shifting focus away from mass mobilisation and reform-driven politics.
“We don’t know the current ODM because it is business,” the legislator said.
The legislator framed his criticism within the broader history of political change in Kenya, arguing that protests, not quiet negotiations, have delivered transformative milestones in the country’s governance.
“What ended colonialism in the country? What brought multipartyism? What gave us a new constitution? Is it not protests? Is protests good or bad?” he posed.
He maintained that demonstrations have historically expanded democratic space and secured key reforms, insisting that civic action remains a legitimate and necessary political tool.
