Will Oburu, Orengo bury the hatchet?

In a desperate move to solidify the glue that brings the broad-based government together, President William Ruto has prevailed upon ODM leader Oburu Odinga to initiate mediation and reconciliation talks with Siaya Governor James Orengo to resolve the escalating divisions within the once vibrant ODM party.

Sources privy to the move say Ruto badly wants ODM united for if Orengo bolts out of the opposition faction in ODM, the party will be politically punctured as the move will split the opposition party down the middle.

The unfolding events are emerging at a time ODM is facing high-stake leadership transition and ideological crisis. The party is sharply divided between an old guard seeking a formal coalition with President Ruto’s UDA ahead of 2027 and a youthful faction demanding ODM remain an independent entity as an opposition force.

Only recently, Oburu revealed that Catholic Archbishop Emeritus Zacchaeus Okoth is currently mediating between him and Governor Orengo amid growing differences within ODM.

Oburu dismissed claims of a serious fallout within the party, maintaining that he does not hold any personal grudge against the Siaya governor.

He stated that the mediation process through Bishop Okoth was aimed at fostering understanding and dialogue within the party leadership.

Dr Oburu further explained that he had no personal dispute with Orengo, insisting that his leadership position within the party followed the right process.

Oburu added that he was ready to engage through the bishop as part of efforts to address the ongoing disagreement and maintain unity within ODM.

The remarks come at a time when divisions within the party continue to emerge following recent debates over ODM leadership and the party’s engagement with the broad-based government arrangement.

President Ruto has actively championed unity and cooperation between the ODM factions, specifically urging Oburu, who is also the Siaya Senator, and Governor Orengo to resolve their internal divisions.

As a key leader in the ODM party, Oburu has fully backed the working arrangement with Ruto. He has urged party members to support the current political alignment and warned those who oppose it, like Orengo, to toe the party line.

Governor Orengo has emerged as a vocal critic of the coalition. He has frequently voiced concerns that ODM risks losing its identity and being “swallowed” by Ruto’s ruling UDA party.

During rallies and tours in the Nyanza and Siaya regions, President Ruto called on feuding leaders to put their differences aside.

Ruto maintains that Orengo, as a senior politician, should engage with the Presidency directly to address grievances rather than fostering internal political rebellion. He argues that a united front is necessary to ensure the Nyanza region benefits from government development projects.

While calls for dialogue persist, the divide remains prominent. Oburu has indicated a willingness to meet with the Governor, though Orengo remains steadfast in his criticism of how close the current ODM leadership is aligning with the ruling coalition.

Not to be seen as engaging Orengo camp head on and out for a truce, ODM Oburu camp has abandoned Linda Ground slogan and will no longer be used.

 Remember, Oburu’s side had originally coined the Linda Ground slogan before rivals associated with the Linda Mwananchi camp adopted and popularised it.

Governor Orengo appeared to take a swipe at the decision, suggesting the faction abandoned the name after realising it had “no ground left to defend.”

According to Suba South MP Caroli Omondi, allied to Orengo side, ODM could eventually split into two camps, with one faction retaining the party’s official structures while the other attracted the majority of grassroots supporters.

Governor Orengo has weighed in on the ongoing efforts to unify factions within the ODM, saying the biggest obstacle to internal cohesion is that the party’s political environment has been shaped by President Ruto.

Recently while answering questions on whether the Linda Mwananchi faction and the Linda Ground faction within ODM could sort out their differences and collaborate in building the party in the run-up to the next political contest, Orengo said that it is a matter of whether leaders are going to be ideological rather than transactional and whether they will not be dependent upon the personal ambitions of their political party leaders.

Orengo has said that unity within ODM cannot be achieved if party leader Oburu continues to engage only one faction while sidelining the other.

Tensions peaked in April when Governor Orengo declared himself the acting ODM party leader, prompting Oburu to tell off the governor and dismiss his claims.

Already, ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga of the Linda Ground faction has written an open letter to Senator Orengo in which she has pleaded for   and chosen to “leave the door open for engagement, dialogue, and collaboration on matters that uplift our people and propel our community forward,