County chairpersons of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) have endorsed the party’s recent leadership changes, including the removal of Senator Edwin Sifuna as Secretary General and pledged full support to Party Leader Oburu Oginga ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The resolutions were adopted during a meeting of the party’s Caucus of County Chairpersons held in Nairobi on Thursday under the leadership of caucus chairman and Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the chairpersons said they fully supported the National Executive Committee’s decision made earlier in Mombasa to discharge Sifuna from his responsibilities over what the party termed as gross misconduct.
They also backed the appointment of nominated MP Catherine Omanyo as Acting Secretary General, noting that party leadership must uphold discipline and integrity.
“As chairpersons of the party at the county levels, we hold our party with high regard and expect that everyone in the top leadership of the party to do the same,” Barasa said.
The caucus reaffirmed its confidence in Oburu Oginga’s leadership, pledging maximum support as he steers the party through a period of transition and prepares for future political contests.
“We fully support the leadership of Sen. (Dr) Oburu Oginga as the party leader of this movement. We commit to accord him maximum support in his quest to stabilise, steady and make the party bigger, stronger and better as we head into the 2027 general election,” the chairpersons said.
The leaders also endorsed the party’s decision to allow Oburu to lead negotiations on possible pre-election coalitions, including engagement with like-minded political parties such as the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
They emphasized the need to strengthen ODM at the grassroots level to enhance its bargaining power in coalition discussions and expand its national support base.
The caucus further pledged to begin preparations for the party’s upcoming National Delegates Convention (NDC) scheduled for March 27, saying only legitimate delegates would be cleared to participate.
The chairpersons also expressed support for the broad-based political cooperation framework initiated by the late ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga and President William Ruto, describing it as critical to national unity, economic growth, and political stability.
They urged the committee overseeing the implementation of the NADCO report and the 10-point agenda, chaired by Senator Agnes Zani, to fast-track implementation of the agreed reforms.
“We are united. We are focused. And we are committed to the party’s ideology, values, mission and agenda. We shall work tirelessly to ensure that we make our party stronger and prosperous,” the chairpersons said.
The meeting was also attended by Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi, while Oburu Oginga addressed the gathering virtually, urging grassroots leaders to champion the party’s ideals and strengthen its presence across the country.
The developments signal ODM’s efforts to consolidate its leadership and reorganize its structures as it positions itself for future political alliances and the next general election cycle.
