ODM party leader Oburu Oginga, has moved to contain internal debate sparked by recent public remarks from its Secretary General.
Oburu emphasised unity, discipline, and adherence to party processes. He said the party remains focused on structured planning and forming the next government.
In a statement released on Friday from ODM headquarters at Chungwa House, Oburu said he had taken note of Sifuna’s interview on Citizen TV on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, and the public discourse that followed.
He acknowledged that ODM is a democratic movement that accommodates debate, and internal discourse, but stressed that this freedom comes with responsibility.
“As the Party Leader of ODM, I am discharged with responsibility to oversight and steer the leadership of the Party and its mandate in the national interest and sustainability of our beloved Party,” Oburu said, adding that certain concerns needed to be addressed.
This comes shortly after ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna’s remarks on Citizen TV that prompted the party leadership’s response centred on the movement’s internal governance and its posture towards future political alliances.
During the interview aired on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, Sifuna revisited ODM’s ideological foundations, including social democracy, equity, justice, devolution and constitutionalism, and argued that these principles should guide any coalition arrangements the party enters.
He cautioned against what he described as premature or opaque coalition negotiations, suggesting that ODM should avoid locking itself into alliances before broader party consultations and electoral timelines were clear.
Sifuna also questioned the legitimacy of some national party office holders, arguing that officials elected by the National Governing Council required further validation through other party organs.
His comments were interpreted by some members as casting doubt on the authority of existing structures within the party.
In addition, he appeared to downplay the urgency of early pre-election coalition talks, a position that contrasted with earlier public statements in which he had warned that ODM could not afford to delay planning for the post-election period.
The interview triggered debate within ODM ranks, ultimately drawing a formal response from party leader Oburu Odinga.
Central to Oburu's message was the assertion that the Secretary General had, in recent months, occasionally struggled to distinguish between his personal opinions and official Party policy as determined by our constitutionally mandated organs.
Oburu said this had “understandably, created confusion among members and supporters.”
He emphasised that ODM policy is not shaped by individual preference but is instead the product of structured deliberation through properly constituted Party organs.
While defending institutional authority, Oburu also recognised that Sifuna had correctly outlined the party’s ideological foundations during the interview.
He noted that ODM’s core principles, “social democracy, equity, justice, devolution, constitutionalism, and the pursuit of inclusive governance”, have always guided the party’s political engagements, including coalition building.
“These principles have always provided the compass for our political engagements,” Oburu said, describing them as “Baba’s philosophy and guiding principle” that he would continue to uphold.
However, Oburu said the interview also contained assertions that misled the public regarding the legitimacy of certain Party organs and office holders.
He said ODM has, since its inception, demonstrated fidelity to its constitution and the rule of law, the same principles that have placed all officials, including Sifuna, in office.
“We want to state categorically that all Party officials are serving substantially and supported by the Party organ resolutions,” he said.
Addressing Sifuna’s questioning of the legality of some national officials elected by the National Governing Council, Oburu pointed to what he described as a fundamental inconsistency.
He reminded members that Sifuna himself was elected Secretary General by the same organ in February 2018 and served in that role until February 2022, when he was endorsed by the National Delegates Convention.
“One cannot selectively invalidate the very processes that conferred legitimacy upon oneself,” Oburu said.
The ODM leader also highlighted what he termed a contradiction in Sifuna’s stance on coalition talks.
He recalled that in July 2025, on the same public platform, the Secretary General had argued that ODM could not afford to wait until 2027 to deliberate on its post-election strategy, yet now questioned the urgency of initiating pre-election discussions.
“As a responsible political Party preparing to form the next government, we must plan ahead,” Oburu said. “Strategic engagement is not panic, it is prudence. And democratic space does not equal chaos.”
He further warned that frequent references to other coalitions rather than ODM itself was a concern and needs to be keenly mitigated on.
Looking ahead, Oburu reaffirmed the party’s commitment to dialogue with government and other stakeholders, saying ODM’s vision for a better Kenya could not be realised in isolation.
He announced plans for an inter-generational national conclave aimed at building a stronger party where “every generation is represented and given opportunity.”
“ODM remains united, strong, and anchored in its founding values,” he said, urging members to remain disciplined and focused. “No individual, however senior, is above the collective decisions of the Party.”
