Orange Democratic Movement party Leader Dr. Oburu Oginga has declared that President William Ruto will secure a landslide victory in the 2027 presidential election by a landslide, even as he defended the party’s decision to collaborate with the Kenya Kwanza administration, abandoning earlier plans to field its own presidential candidate.
Speaking at a broad-based government meeting in Naivasha, Oginga highlighted the significant progress made since ODM joined forces with the Ruto administration, indicating a serious commitment to retaining power in the next election.
“The progress so far made is enough to tell our opponents that we are damn serious about this. We are not joking. We are going to win the next election by a landslide,” Oburu stated.
The ODM leader refuted claims that the party’s collaboration with President Ruto had weakened the opposition, emphasizing that ODM remains a formidable political organization with robust structures extending to the grassroots and polling stations.
“Those who thought that ODM was going to be swallowed, I tell them ngooooh, ODM is not going to be swallowed,” he asserted.
Oginga clarified that ODM’s entry into the broad-based government was not due to an inability to field a presidential candidate or mobilize nationwide support. Instead, he explained, it was a deliberate political decision to foster stability and ensure that governmental changes occur through elections rather than street protests.
“We came to this coalition not because we are unable to fill a presidential candidate, not because we are not prepared up to grassroots. We are the largest party up to grassroots. We go up to polling stations,” he affirmed.
According to Oginga, ODM joined the government to ensure Kenya’s political transitions remain anchored in democratic institutions and the ballot box, rather than demonstrations.
“We want our country, the government of Kenya, to be changed through a democratic process, through the ballot box. It must be changed by Kenyans, and all Kenyans, through the ballot,” he said.
He recalled that the arrangement began while his late brother and then-party leader, Raila Amolo Odinga, was still at the helm of ODM, describing his death as particularly unfortunate given its timing shortly after the alliance had commenced.
Oginga also elaborated on the policy rationale behind the partnership, noting a significant convergence between ODM’s agenda and the programs pursued by the Ruto administration.
He cited housing and universal healthcare as areas where the two sides shared overlapping policy positions, arguing that ODM had not abandoned its political principles by participating in the government.
“There are policies of ODM which were coinciding with the policies of UDA and Kenya Kwanza. Some of them include housing. Some of them include universal health, and so on and so on,” he explained.
According to Oginga ODM contributes more than just numerical strength to the broad-based government, bringing political experience, policy influence, and quality leadership.
“President Ruto has also welcomed ODM with two hands because he knows that ODM not only brings numbers, but it brings quality,” he remarked.
He stressed that the party’s continued participation should not be misconstrued as a surrender of its identity or political independence.
Oginga outlined the next steps for the alliance, which include developing a policy framework combining the programs and priorities of ODM and Kenya Kwanza, followed by discussions on the coalition’s structure, including
power-sharing. “The policies must be clear that it is a combination of the policies of ODM and the policies of Kenya Kwanza UDA,” he
stated. “And then there will be a framework team which will now work on the coalition, which will include sharing of power.”
The ODM leader also connected the alliance to the party’s long-standing emphasis on inclusivity and opposition to discrimination, asserting that these principles align with President
Ruto’s stance. “ODM stands against injustice. ODM stands for inclusivity,” he said, adding that Ruto had agreed that no part of the country should face discrimination.
“All parts of Kenya are equal. There is no shareholder. There is no shareholder, and we are not going to accept shareholding in future for our country.”
Oginga dismissed calls for political mobilization outside the government, arguing that political parties are fundamentally formed to seek power.
“There’s no party in this country which is formed to be in the opposition. All political parties are formed to be in what? Power,” he questioned.
He also expressed confusion regarding Siaya Governor James Orengo’s position, who has criticized aspects of the broad-based government arrangement while remaining a part of it.
“I don’t understand the logic of my governor in Siaya, who says he is in a broad-based government, he is in government, and he is going out of government so that he comes back to government,” Oburu said.
