Caroli Omondi Challenges Oburu Odinga’s Leadership in ODM
A new leadership dispute has surfaced in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) after Suba South MP Caroli Omondi publicly questioned the process that led to Oburu Odinga being appointed as the party’s leader.
During a live interview on JKLive on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Omondi argued that the way Oburu assumed leadership violated the party’s constitution, raising serious concerns about internal democracy and the proper procedures for leadership transitions.
Omondi pointed out that ODM’s constitution clearly states that whenever a leadership position becomes vacant, one of the deputy party leaders must step in as acting leader.
According to him, this rule was ignored in the recent transition. Instead, Oburu Odinga, who did not hold any official leadership position in the party at the time, was “parachuted” into the top role without following the proper steps.
“ODM had deputy party leaders,” Omondi explained. “According to the party’s constitution, one of the deputies should have taken over temporarily. That is the process the party set out, yet it was completely overlooked in this case.”
Caroli also hinted at possible external influence in the leadership change, alleging that key decisions were rushed through under unclear directions while senior party officials were away, including traveling to India to accompany former ODM leader Raila Odinga on his return home.
“They were directed to do that — hand over the party leadership to Oburu,” Omondi said, suggesting that the process was influenced by instructions from outside the normal party mechanisms.
He went on to describe a series of hurried meetings and coordinated actions, implying that the outcome may have been predetermined even before proper consultations with party officials could take place.
Omondi also alleged that there were “marching orders” to remove certain party officials ahead of an important internal review scheduled for March 7.
When asked why March 7 was significant, he explained, “That is the date for reviewing the ‘10-Point Agenda’,” highlighting that the timing of these changes appeared carefully planned to affect internal party assessments and decisions.
These claims come several months after the ODM National Governing Council (NGC) confirmed Oburu Odinga as party leader, while Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir, Godfrey Osotsi, and Simba Arati were appointed as Deputy Party Leaders.
During the interview, Omondi expressed strong support for the Sifuna-led ‘Linda Mwananchi’ faction, which he said embodied the spirit of former ODM leader Raila Odinga’s approach of involving ordinary Kenyans as stakeholders in the party’s decision-making.
Omondi suggested that this faction represented a return to transparency and inclusiveness, contrasting it with the process that brought Oburu to power.
In conclusion, Caroli Omondi’s statements signal a growing tension within ODM over leadership legitimacy, adherence to constitutional rules, and the influence of external actors in the party’s internal affairs, hinting at potential disputes as the March 7 review approaches.
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