In line with its declared search for political “pawa”, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has resolved to begin talks to form a coalition with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) heading into the 2027 general elections.

That was the key takeaway from the Special Delegates Convention held at the ASK Jamhuri Grounds by the Linda Ground faction of ODM that supports the broad-based government and Ruto’s 2027 re-election bid.

Tasked with negotiating with Ruto and reporting back to the ODM party structures and ODM delegates is Siaya Senator Dr. Oburu Oginga.  Dr. Oburu’s position as the Party Leader of ODM, previously confirmed by the National Governing Council, was ratified by the ODM Special Delegates Convention.

“I want to thank the delegates for the honour they have conferred on me. This is not a small thing. I am now the second party leader of ODM, which is 20 years old. ODM is big enough to take power on its own. But since it is difficult for any party in Kenya to go it alone, that is why I will negotiate with UDA,” said Dr. Oburu in his acceptance speech.

In the speech tinged with history, the party leader recalled the origins of ODM, which emerged from the seismic 2005 constitutional referendum that pitted Bananas v Oranges. Dr. Oburu sought to justify ODM’s decision to deepen its partnership with the Ruto government, framing it as a means of protecting devolution and ensuring development for all communities across the country.

The ODM Special Delegates Convention was muted on the fate of Edwin Sifuna as the ODM Secretary General. None of the speakers at Jamhuri Grounds directly referenced Sifuna in their speeches.

However, earlier in the week, in a speech at the iconic Ufungamano House that may have signalled the end of his eight-year-long tenure, a defiant Sifuna appeared to fall on his sword.

“It has been the honour of my life to be the Secretary General under arguably Kenya’s greatest politician, Raila Odinga. I will not be the SG [Secretary General] of mediocrity. I will not be the SG of Oburu. Oburu should look for his own SG. I want to say that Linda Mwananchi will be true to the needs of Kenyans, and in 2027, we shall ensure that Ruto is defeated,” Sifuna declared at Ufungamano House, which the police had sought and failed to barricade.

On the eve of the Convention, the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal had directed that the dispute regarding the Secretary General position first be mediated through ODM’s internal dispute resolution before it could be tabled before it. The Tribunal had also rejected a bid to stop ODM’s Special NDC, saying the applicant failed to justify the requested conservatory orders.

A casualty of the Special ODM NDC was the Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, who was dropped as one of the three ODM Deputy Party Leaders after he lacked a proposer and seconder for the position.

“You cannot be a party leader, and then you fight what the party organs have decided. You will not be expelled, but you cannot stay in the leadership position. A party must have order and rules to be steadfast. As a leader, I will not encourage indiscipline. Democracy does not mean chaos,” declared Dr. Oburu.

Following Raila Odinga’s demise, ODM has fractured into two factions, both claiming the party’s soul but divided over whether to work with President Ruto’s government. This led to a dramatic Friday that saw the two ODM factions – Linda Ground and Linda Mwananchi – hold two separate delegate meetings – one official and one dubbed as “for the people”.

Raila’s daughter, Winnie Odinga, who had previously allied herself with the Linda Mwananchi faction, attended the Linda Ground-backed Special Delegates Convention. Still, she sought to project herself as a voice of reason.

“ODM is my home. I am a proud life member of ODM. I am a voice of the vibrant young people. I carry the responsibility for the dreams of the young people. We always need to remember the values of our founding members. We must carry along the aspirations of Kenyan youth. ODM must revamp our youth league. We want a new ODM,” said Winne.

While congratulating her uncle, Dr. Oburu, on his confirmation as party leader, Winnie urged ODM leaders to embrace the spirit of reconciliation and understanding, enabling ODM to be a party that does not chase anyone away.

It is worth noting that President Ruto’s latest working tour of Nyanza, which ended earlier this week, saw him commission numerous development projects across the four counties of Kisumu, Migori, Homa Bay and Siaya, which are the backbone of ODM.

Among the projects commissioned was Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Phase 2, whose construction will go through Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba, with completion expected by June 2027, just months before the August 2027 polls. This project extends the existing SGR to Malaba, traversing ODM-dominated counties including Narok, Kisumu, and Busia.

Additionally, Kenya plans to commence construction of a 2,000MW nuclear power plant in Siaya County in 2027, with commissioning expected in 2034.

“People are saying ODM is bought. Bought by who? At my age, I cannot be bought. We are not ashamed to say we want pawa. We cannot serve our people without pawa,” asserted Dr. Oburu.

The overt wooing of ODM and specifically Nyanza by the Ruto administration aims to fill the gap left by the Mount Kenya region, whose overwhelming support swept Ruto to power in 2022. Since the impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua as Deputy President, the Mount Kenya region has gone cold on the Kenya Kwanza regime.

Incidentally, a recent symbolic meeting between Gachagua and Jubilee Party Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni this week has sparked speculation that Gachagua could be working to reconcile with former President Uhuru Kenyatta fully. An Uhuru-Rigathi ‘handshake’ would go a long way to crystallise Mount Kenya’s opposition to President Ruto ahead of 2027.

The 2027 general elections may be 16 months away, but the official campaign period has yet to kick off. With the political machinations and alignments, the whistle has seemingly been blown, and the search for political “pawa” is well and truly underway.