As the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) grapples with internal fissures following the death of its founding leader, the late Raila Odinga, Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga has emerged as a firm voice of order, warning the party against taking constitutional shortcuts in its quest for unity.
In a strongly worded intervention that has reverberated across ODM ranks, the ODM Deputy Organizing Secretary dismissed mounting pressure for an immediate National Delegates Conference (NDC), arguing that any such move must strictly follow the party’s constitution to safeguard legitimacy and internal democracy.
“There are no shortcuts to unity. The journey forward must be guided by the very rules we set for ourselves,” Ruth Odinga said, underscoring member supremacy as a foundational ODM principle.
Ruth’s remarks come amid heightened tensions sparked by a recent Central Management Committee (CMC) retreat held in Vipingo, Kilifi County, chaired by ODM Party Leader Dr Oburu Oginga. The high-level meeting endorsed exploratory talks with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ahead of the 2027 General Election, while also defending ODM’s continued cooperation with the Kenya Kwanza administration.
The resolutions, however, exposed deep factional divides within the party, with reports of boycotts, regional rifts, and growing discomfort over ODM’s political direction.
While acknowledging the CMC’s role as the party’s policy “engine room,” Ruth Odinga cautioned against rushing to an NDC without following due process. She stressed that the committee’s recommendations must first be presented to the National Executive Committee (NEC).
She placed responsibility squarely on ODM National Chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, urging her to invoke Article 6.3.3(vii) of the ODM Constitution to convene the NEC without delay.
“The NEC is the executive organ mandated to implement decisions of higher bodies and supervise the party’s daily operations,” Ruth explained, describing it as the critical gateway to broader democratic engagement.
According to Ruth’s roadmap, deliberations must then move to the National Governing Council (NGC) — the party’s second-highest organ — which is charged with monitoring and directing ODM’s political course nationwide.
Only after this structured progression, she insisted, should ODM convene the National Delegates Conference, the party’s supreme decision-making organ with powers to review the manifesto, ratify policies, amend laws, and even nominate a presidential candidate.
“It is at the NDC where every member’s voice is heard and final policy determined,” she said, dismissing claims that the process can legally skip key stages.
With ODM factions clashing over leadership renewal, coalition politics, and engagement with the government, Ruth Odinga’s insistence on constitutional fidelity is increasingly being viewed as a stabilizing blueprint for the party’s future.
“From NEC to NGC, and finally to NDC — this is the only legitimate path to a united, focused ODM,” she declared.
Her rallying call, “Mbele Pamoja!” (Forward Together), is fast becoming a constitutional mantra at a time when grassroots leaders are intensifying calls for an early NDC and regional mobilization efforts gather pace.
As ODM navigates one of the most turbulent chapters in its history, Ruth Odinga’s hardline stance on internal democracy may prove decisive in determining whether the party fractures further — or finds renewed strength through unity anchored in its own constitution.