A growing rift within Kenya’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has exposed deep-seated tensions over how members should engage with President William Ruto’s administration according to minority leader Junet Mohammed.
This debate, which centers on the autonomy of ODM legislators in their interactions with the government, has led to sharp divisions that could have much implications for ODM’s internal unity and its role as a key opposition force in Kenyan politics.
The issue was brought to light when ODM Minority Leader Junet Mohamed recently urged party members to avoid direct engagements with President Ruto without consulting formal ODM structures.
Mohamed’s warning is a response to what he perceives as an increasing trend of ODM members forging informal alliances with Ruto’s administration.
His statement underscores the leadership’s concerns about the possible erosion of party cohesion as individual members act independently of ODM’s official positions.
This directive was likely prompted by ODM’s desire to prevent alliances that might dilute its opposition stance, particularly given President Ruto’s attempts to bring ODM leaders into his fold.
By encouraging ODM MPs to follow party guidelines in their interactions with the ruling government, the leadership aims to maintain a unified approach toward government engagement and oversight.
However, this attempt to centralize decision-making has not been without controversy and has exposed differing priorities within ODM ranks.
The issue intensified after a series of meetings between ODM MPs and President Ruto.
In these discussions, some ODM legislators expressed a desire to prioritize local development concerns over party politics.
This focus on development has been interpreted by some party leaders as a softening of ODM’s opposition role.
While these MPs argue that their engagement with the president is motivated by a desire to bring development to their constituencies, ODM leaders, including party leader Raila Odinga and prominent governors like Kisumu’s Anyang’ Nyong’o and Siaya’s James Orengo, view this as a betrayal of ODM’s commitment to government accountability.
Nyong’o and Orengo, both senior figures in ODM and vocal supporters of its opposition stance, have voiced concerns that ODM’s identity as a watchdog could be compromised if its members align too closely with the ruling administration.
To them, the essence of ODM’s role in Kenyan politics is not only to push for development but to ensure that the government is held accountable.
By allowing party members to engage directly with Ruto, these leaders fear ODM could lose its distinct voice as a critical opponent of the current administration’s policies.
President Ruto’s attempts to reach out to ODM MPs appear to be part of a broader strategy aimed at fostering national unity and building alliances ahead of the 2027 elections.
His outreach has included high-profile meetings and strategic appointments intended to attract ODM members into the government’s orbit.
While Ruto has framed these efforts as nonpartisan and in the national interest, ODM’s leadership perceives them as political maneuvers designed to weaken the opposition by drawing away key figures.
This outreach strategy has led to increased suspicion and discomfort among ODM leaders, as it blurs the lines between the government and opposition, raising concerns about the party’s capacity to function as an independent force.
ODM leaders argue that engaging too closely with Ruto’s administration undermines the opposition’s role in Kenya’s democracy.
For them, collaboration with the ruling government on local development initiatives can easily be misinterpreted as political alignment.
These leaders fear that ODM MPs’ interactions with Ruto could set a precedent for greater collaboration, risking the party’s ideological coherence and diminishing its effectiveness as an opposition force.
For ODM to remain a viable alternative in Kenya’s political scenes, its leaders believe it must continue to provide an uncompromising critique of the government, which requires its members to distance themselves from Ruto’s administration.
The stakes of these internal conflicts within ODM extend beyond party politics.
As the leading party within the Azimio la Umoja coalition, ODM’s unity is critical to the opposition’s broader effectiveness.
Azimio, which represents a coalition of parties opposed to Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance, relies on ODM to set the tone and strategy for its opposition efforts.
If ODM continues to struggle with internal disagreements over how to engage with the government, it risks weakening Azimio’s overall cohesion, which could limit the coalition’s ability to function as a unified force in Kenyan politics.
In a broader context, this internal ODM struggle reflects a recurring challenge for opposition parties in Kenya.
Balancing developmental collaboration with the government while maintaining a critical stance has always been a delicate endeavor.
On the one hand, Kenyans expect their elected representatives to work toward local development and improvement of services.
On the other, the opposition’s role is to check government power and offer alternative policies. ODM now finds itself at a crossroads, needing to reconcile these conflicting expectations while ensuring that its position within the opposition remains firm.
The rift within ODM underscores the complexities that opposition parties in Kenya face when engaging with a strong ruling government.
How ODM navigates this period could shape not only the party’s future but also the larger political ground in Kenya.
If ODM manages to address these internal divisions and establish a clear policy on government engagement, it may emerge as a more cohesive opposition force.
However, if the current trend of individual alliances with the ruling administration continues, ODM risks losing its identity as a united opposition party, potentially altering the dynamics of Kenyan politics in the lead-up to the 2027 elections.
