The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has formally rejected the recent leadership changes in the Azimio La Umoja One-Kenya Coalition, saying the process ignored established rules and sidelined its leader, Oburu Oginga.
The party claims that former President Uhuru Kenyatta, acting as Azimio Council Chairman, moved to implement the reshuffle without involving all coalition members.
In a letter to the Registrar of Political Parties, John Cox Lorianokou, ODM described the leadership changes as illegitimate and called for them to be suspended immediately. “It is our considered position that the ODM Party Leader, an expressly named and key constituent party under the Deed of Agreement, was neither informed nor involved in the purported changes,” the party stated.
The party stressed that under the coalition’s Deed of Agreement, leadership decisions must be made collectively by all constituent parties—ODM, Jubilee, and the Wiper Patriotic Front—not by a single person. “Consequently, the meeting and its resolutions were ultra vires, in contravention of the express provisions of the Deed of Agreement, and are therefore null and void,” the letter added.
ODM also accused coalition partners of sidestepping formal procedures when filling vacant posts and removing officials from both the National Executive Committee and the Council.
“The above actions go against the founding principles of inclusivity, transparency and accountability that Azimio espouses. In light of the aforementioned, we, the undersigned, founding Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Political Party affiliates, reject in totality the resolutions submitted to your office and caution you from further processing the illegal, null and void resolutions,” the letter said.
The changes under dispute include the appointment of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka as Azimio coalition leader, Suba North MP Caroli Omondi as Secretary-General, and Philip Kisia as Executive Director. Junet Mohamed, the former Secretary-General, and Raphael Tuju, the former Executive Director, were removed.
In a separate letter signed by ODM Executive Director Oduor Ong’wen, the party insisted that the changes are invalid and should be frozen immediately.
The disagreement has also spilled into concerns about the funding of ODM’s Linda Ground rallies. Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga accused the government of attempting to influence ODM into backing President William Ruto in next year’s elections.
“I can state authoritatively that the money you see being spent in those rallies does not come from ODM HQ,” ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna told Citizen TV on Tuesday.
Ruth Odinga supported Sifuna and questioned the source of the funds. “Those with the answers, why can’t you provide them? Are governors funding the campaigns? Are MPs doing it from the CDF kitty? Did we get a philanthropist that a party SG is not aware of who is funding the clearly expensive public fora? And what is in it for the ‘philanthropist’?” she asked.
She also raised concerns over the millions spent on helicopters, large tents, and ODM-branded materials during the rallies. “The government has the option of releasing the funds to the party, but when that happens, they will lack control. So, they must be the ones controlling the show, where they decide who is ‘invited’ to the Linda Ground tents, and what they say once they get there,” she added.
Ruth further questioned President Ruto’s commitment to pre-election agreements with ODM, noting that the government has not implemented the 10-point pact signed with Raila Odinga last year. “If President Ruto does not honour an agreement he signed with a man he said helped him steady a ship called Kenya that was sinking following the Gen-Z protests, how sure are you that he will honour the pre-election pact you are all talking about? Will he use a different signature?” she asked.
The leadership and funding disputes come as ODM battles a Sh12 billion debt and has not accessed party funds since November last year. “The last money we expended as ODM officially was in the celebrations in Mombasa, and it was a fraction of what is being used,” Sifuna said.
