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Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) delegates in Nairobi have backed East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Winnie Odinga for deputy party leader, ending months of open rebellion against the party’s leadership.
The endorsement, coming from chairpersons of all 17 constituencies in Nairobi County during a meeting on Tuesday, signals Winnie’s first public alignment with the faction led by her uncle, Oburu Oginga, after weeks of confrontation that had threatened to fracture the party ahead of its National Delegates Convention (NDC).
“We have had several meetings in the last two months to look for a representative. Every region has representation in the party, but Nairobi has been left without a voice at the top,” said Makadara MP George Aladwa, who chairs the Nairobi branch and presided over the meeting.
Aladwa added that the 17 constituencies had resolved to front Winnie as their candidate for the deputy party leader post.
“We as the 17 constituencies in Nairobi County have proposed our EALA MP Winnie Odinga to represent us as deputy party leader,” he noted.
The reversal is a turn from Winnie’s recent posture. On February 12, she stood alongside ousted Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna at a press conference in Nairobi, backing his rejection of a National Executive Committee (NEC) decision to remove him from office.
In an interview on January 27, she described ODM’s post-Raila leadership transition as unconstitutional and secretive, accusing a clique of sidelining members and making decisions behind closed doors.
The NEC meeting that removed Sifuna was held in Mombasa on February 11, 2026, and also appointed Busia Women Representative Catherine Omanyo as acting secretary general, ousted Deputy Organising Secretary Caleb Amisi and exited the Azimio la Umoja coalition.
The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) intervened the following day, issuing an order blocking the gazette publication of Sifuna’s removal pending a full hearing, with the order later extended to March 12, 2026.
Tuesday’s meeting also endorsed Winnie as Nairobi’s number-one party delegate, a position held by her late father, Raila Odinga, who founded ODM and led it until his death in October 2025.
The same meeting endorsed Aladwa for the position of party secretary-general, a role currently held by Omanyo in an acting capacity.
Winnie’s shift towards Oburu’s camp follows developments that altered the Odinga family’s relationship with President William Ruto’s government.
On February 27, 2026, President Ruto formally appointed Ida Odinga, widow of the late former Prime Minister, as Kenya’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), after the National Assembly approved the nomination on February 24.
Winnie had publicly defended her mother’s nomination, departing from the position of Sifuna’s camp, which had urged Ida to reject the post.
ODM currently has three deputy party leaders: Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir, Kisii Governor Simba Arati and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi.
Adding a fourth position for Winnie would require a constitutional amendment or a special resolution, a matter that will fall to the NDC.
The NDC is scheduled for March 27, 2026, where delegates are expected to ratify key decisions and chart the party’s course ahead of the 2027 general election.
The convention will also determine the fate of Sifuna’s contested removal, which remains before the PPDT.
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Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) delegates in Nairobi have backed East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP
Winnie Odinga
for deputy party leader, ending months of open rebellion against the party’s leadership.
The endorsement, coming from chairpersons of all 17 constituencies in Nairobi County during a meeting on Tuesday, signals Winnie’s first public alignment with the faction led by her uncle, Oburu Oginga, after weeks of confrontation that had threatened to fracture the party ahead of its National Delegates Convention (NDC).
“We have had several meetings in the last two months to look for a representative. Every region has representation in the party, but Nairobi has been left without a voice at the top,” said Makadara MP George Aladwa, who chairs the Nairobi branch and presided over the meeting.
Aladwa added that the 17 constituencies had resolved to front Winnie as their candidate for the
deputy party leader post
.
“We as the 17 constituencies in Nairobi County have proposed our EALA MP Winnie Odinga to represent us as deputy party leader,” he noted.
The reversal is a turn from Winnie’s recent posture. On February 12, she stood alongside ousted Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna at a press conference in Nairobi, backing his rejection of a National Executive Committee (NEC) decision to remove him from office.
In an interview on January 27, she described ODM’s post-Raila leadership transition as unconstitutional and secretive, accusing a clique of sidelining members and making decisions behind closed doors.
The NEC meeting that removed Sifuna was held in Mombasa on February 11, 2026, and also appointed Busia Women Representative Catherine Omanyo as acting secretary general, ousted Deputy Organising Secretary Caleb Amisi and exited the Azimio la Umoja coalition.
The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) intervened the following day, issuing an order blocking the gazette publication of Sifuna’s removal pending a full hearing, with the order later extended to March 12, 2026.
The same meeting endorsed Aladwa for the position of party secretary-general, a role currently held by Omanyo in an acting capacity.
Winnie’s shift towards Oburu’s camp follows developments that
altered the Odinga family’s
relationship with President William Ruto’s government.
On February 27, 2026, President Ruto formally appointed Ida Odinga, widow of the late former Prime Minister, as Kenya’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), after the National Assembly approved the nomination on February 24.
Winnie had publicly defended her mother’s nomination, departing from the position of Sifuna’s camp, which had urged Ida to reject the post.
ODM currently has three deputy party leaders: Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir, Kisii Governor Simba Arati and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi.
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Adding a fourth position for Winnie would require a constitutional amendment or a special resolution, a matter that will fall to the NDC.
The NDC is scheduled for March 27, 2026, where delegates are expected to
ratify key decisions
and chart the party’s course ahead of the 2027 general election.
The convention will also determine the fate of Sifuna’s contested removal, which remains before the PPDT.
Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp
By Mike Kihaki