NAIROBI, Kenya—Jan 18, 2026—The simmering power struggle within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) escalated on Sunday after Winnie Odinga and her brother Raila Odinga Jr publicly weighed in, warning against what they described as attempts to purge dissenting voices from the party.
Speaking during separate public engagements in Nairobi’s Kibra constituency, the siblings accused a section of ODM leaders of targeting younger figures within the party, citing Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino as key individuals facing pressure.
They warned that such moves threaten ODM’s democratic ethos and undermine the legacy of the party.
In her first major political appearance in Kibra since the death of her father, longtime ODM leader Raila Odinga, the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP addressed a charged rally at Kamukunji Grounds, vowing to remain firmly within the party.
“We will not leave this party that we fought for,” Winnie said, dismissing claims that some leaders were being edged out. “We paid the price for this movement when it mattered.”
Accompanied by her elder brother, Winnie accused unnamed individuals of exploiting the period following her father’s death to advance narrow political interests, describing them as opportunists seeking to commercialise or personalise the party.
“You cannot copy and paste Baba,” she said. “ODM cannot be sold or hijacked. We asked for time after Baba’s passing, but some refused to wait.”
Raila Odinga Jr echoed her remarks, insisting that freedom of expression must be upheld within ODM and rejecting any attempts to expel members over differing views, adding the party must remain tolerant of internal debate.
Winnie openly aligned herself with the faction associated with Sifuna and Babu Owino, saying the two leaders had her full backing, and conveyed greetings from their mother, Ida Odinga, to ODM supporters.
She said she intends to raise the matter formally at the party’s National Delegates Conference (NDC), where she plans to challenge what she termed growing sycophancy and misrepresentation of her father’s public positions.
“Baba spoke openly to Kenyans. Claims that he left us in government are misleading,” she said. “ODM does not need praise singers.”
Earlier in the day, Winnie and Raila Jr attended a thanksgiving service at ACK Holy Trinity Church before proceeding to Kibra.
She later announced plans to embark on a series of consultative forums across the country to collect views from ODM supporters, signaling a more active role in shaping the party’s future as internal contestations continue.
