The Orange Democratic Movement has accused the United Democratic Alliance of trying to weaken its base in Western Kenya through what it describes as an organised attempt to take over its grassroots structures.
The allegations centre on activities in Vihiga and Kakamega Counties, where ODM says its elected leaders and officials are being drawn into UDA political meetings under misleading claims of cooperation between the two parties.
In a statement released on Thursday, January 8, 2026, ODM Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi claimed some of its legislators had attended UDA meetings after being led to believe that a formal working arrangement existed between the parties. The party pointed to a recent meeting in Kakamega as evidence of what it termed a calculated move to interfere with its internal affairs.
“One such engagement took place on Tuesday, 6th January 2026 at Golf Hotel in Kakamega where several legislators elected on ODM participated in a meeting convened by top UDA officials,” the statement said.
ODM Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi described the developments as a direct attack on the party, accusing UDA of overstepping legal and political boundaries. He claimed that the ruling party had gone as far as setting up a regional presidential caucus made up of ODM members, an action he said violates both the Political Parties Act and the ODM constitution.
“This latest conduct by UDA, including the Golf Hotel parley, amounts to a hostile takeover of ODM and is part of the grand scheme that includes sustained threats of violence and expulsion directed at several senior ODM officials that have dared to speak out against the premature and disrespectful actions,” Osotsi said.
The party warned that similar efforts have been ongoing across Western Kenya, with ODM Members of Parliament, Members of County Assembly, and county officials allegedly being targeted and invited into UDA programmes.
ODM firmly stated that no binding agreement exists between it and UDA, either at the national level or at the grassroots. Osotsi explained that the only existing understanding between the two parties is limited and clearly defined.
“What exists between UDA and ODM is the 10-point reform package signed by both parties in the wake of the mid-2024 Gen Z popular uprising that birthed the Broad Based Government. The 10-point reform agenda, like the Broad Based Government, is work in progress meant to expire in 2027, and does not amount to a formal cooperation agreement or pact between ODM and UDA political parties,” Osotsi clarified.
He urged ODM members to remain cautious and avoid actions that could place them on the wrong side of the law or party rules. Osotsi stressed that ODM remains an independent political outfit with its own structures and future plans.
“It should be understood that currently ODM is a distinct political party, and it is not an appendage to UDA party. The broad-based arrangement does not provide for how the two parties will handle 2027 elections going forward,” he added.
Osotsi also welcomed the response from ODM officials and supporters in Vihiga and Kakamega who have publicly withdrawn from UDA-related activities. He praised them for reaffirming their loyalty to the party and called on others to do the same.
“I am glad that the many ODM grassroots officials and members in Vihiga and Kakamega Counties that I have spoken to in recent days have since denounced their involvement in UDA activities and pledged their steadfast loyalty to the ODM party,” he said.
The dispute comes at a delicate moment for ODM, following recent internal disagreements that have played out in public. Days earlier, Suna East Member of Parliament Junet Mohammed and ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna clashed over the handling of campaign funds from Raila Odinga’s unsuccessful 2022 presidential campaign. The confrontation exposed deeper divisions within the party after Raila’s death in 2025.
