The Orange Democratic Movement has announced plans to open structured negotiations with other political formations, including the United Democratic Alliance, ahead of the next general election. This decision was reached on Monday, January 12, following a meeting of the ODM Central Committee held in Kilifi County. The talks aim to strengthen the party's national footing through pre-election alliances.
On Monday, January 12, 2026, the ODM Central Committee met in Kilifi County to review the party's political, organisational, and strategic position. Following the meeting, Oburu Oginga, on behalf of the committee, announced the resolve to pursue pre-election political alliances as part of ODM's broader strategy to strengthen its national footing. This includes formally mandating the ODM Party Leader to initiate negotiations with the United Democratic Alliance, marking a significant political development given the long-standing rivalry between the two factions before 2024.
"The Committee meeting expressed the intention to initiate structured negotiations with different political formations, beginning with the United Democratic Alliance. To this end, we have mandated the Party Leader to commence this process," a statement from the Committee read.
According to the committee, the talks are intended to be structured and deliberate, focusing on shared interests and the evolving political landscape rather than ad hoc arrangements. At the same time, ODM said it will carry out internal consultations with its members across the country to ensure that any political realignment reflects the views and aspirations of the party’s grassroots. These consultations are expected to inform the party’s final position and will eventually culminate in a National Delegates Convention, where key decisions are traditionally ratified.
The committee also addressed the implementation of the Party’s 10-Point Agenda, focusing on the compensation of victims of public protests. Since the court declared the panel of experts on compensation unlawful, ODM resolved to channel any compensation through the constitutionally recognised Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
During the press conference on Monday, Oburu Odinga was questioned about the absence of key figures like ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna and Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Otsotsi from the leaders' meeting. In response, Oburu downplayed any tensions, clarifying that both had issued apologies as they were logistically unable to attend the Kilifi event. Notably, Sifuna is one of the fiercest critics of the Kenya Kwanza government within ODM and in 2025 sensationally claimed he would rather walk out of the party than liaise with President William Ruto. His stance softened following the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, with Sifuna declaring he was unwilling to be the reason ODM sunk.
