ODM has no stand on Ruto’s term limits, says Omanyo

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has not decided whether President William Ruto should serve one term or two, Acting Secretary General Catherine Omanyo has said, insisting that the matter is still open and tied to ongoing political talks and internal consultations.

Speaking during an interview on Radio Generation on Thursday, Omanyo said the party is deliberately avoiding early declarations on the issue, noting that its current political engagement with the government is guided by past guidance from the late Raila Odinga.

“The last supper we had with him… he advised us, although we are supporting the government, we are not in either to say two term or one term yet, until after negotiations,” she said.

She stressed that ODM has no official position on the matter and warned members against taking extreme sides.

“If anybody says one term they are wrong, if anybody says two term, they are wrong,” Omanyo stated, adding that even ODM Party leader Oburu Oginga has maintained that the party has no “one-term or two-term team.”

Omanyo said Raila Odinga’s approach was focused on national stability, arguing that his decision to engage with the government was meant to reduce political tension and protect the country during a sensitive period.

“If Baba could not have stopped all of us, there would be no Kenya today… you just don’t know if the army takes over. What happens? It takes years to stabilize,” she said, describing the move as a decision aimed at “saving Kenya first” before political competition.

She added that internal debate within ODM has since split into two broad camps following Raila Odinga’s death in October 2025.

One faction linked to Oburu Oginga supports continued cooperation with the Kenya Kwanza administration under a broad-based arrangement. The other, led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna alongside Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Siaya Governor James Orengo, is pushing for ODM to stay independent and field its own presidential candidate in 2027.

Omanyo, however, downplayed the divisions, saying they are largely driven by personal political interests rather than ideology.

“Some people got in the mix of two term or one term… those who didn’t like the president stuck on the side of one,” she said, adding that others have remained aligned to Raila Odinga’s more cooperative approach.

She maintained that ODM is still keeping all options open, including possible continuation of cooperation with the government or going it alone in the next election if no agreement is reached.

“We have to just support the government until a point where we say we can continue together or have our own way,” she said, emphasizing that the party’s future direction will be shaped by negotiations and internal consensus.