Kisumu County Woman Representative Ruth Odinga has called for sweeping reforms within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), urging the party to intentionally create leadership opportunities for young people instead of treating them merely as a voting bloc during elections.
In a statement shared on her social media platforms on Sunday, January 25, Ruth Odinga said that the party has failed its young members by locking them out of key decision-making spaces.
She argued that many youths within ODM feel neglected, unheard, and excluded from the party’s leadership structures, despite being its most energetic and loyal supporters.
Ruth, who is the sister of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, stressed that the future of ODM does not lie in a distant generation but in the current one. She dismissed claims by some party leaders that youth unrest is caused by indiscipline, insisting instead that it is a clear sign of frustration caused by exclusion.
“The future of the Orange Democratic Movement does not belong to the next generation. It belongs to this generation. When young people start rattling the cage, it is because they have been kept outside it for far too long,” she stated.
The Kisumu MP emphasized that continued sidelining of young people could weaken the party and eventually lead to its collapse. She challenged ODM’s senior leaders to reflect on whether they have reduced the youth to tools for mobilisation during campaigns rather than treating them as equal partners in leadership and governance.
Ruth noted that today’s youth are passionate, informed, and digitally skilled, yet many feel the political system is stacked against them. She said their agitation should be seen as a call for fairness and inclusion, not rebellion.
“I see young people full of passion, sometimes challenging leadership because they believe the system is unfair. The time has come for us to deliberately engage them and consult them as partners,” she added.
Beyond criticism, Ruth Odinga proposed concrete structural reforms within the party. She called for the establishment of constitutionally protected leadership positions reserved specifically for young people.
According to her, such reforms would ensure that youth participation is not left to goodwill but firmly embedded in the party’s constitution.
She also pushed for affirmative action, including reserving elective positions for young members, to help balance the gap between long-serving political veterans and young leaders who lack connections but bring fresh ideas, energy, and digital expertise.
Ruth argued that although ODM has often listened to youth grievances, it has rarely given them real power to influence decisions.
The MP further condemned the practice of using young people as political shields during protests and political confrontations. She urged a cultural shift within ODM that empowers youth to actively seek leadership roles rather than waiting for power to be handed to them by senior figures.
Ruth concluded by calling for an ODM that truly reflects the face of Kenya, a party that embraces diversity, innovation, and generational balance by fully including young people in its leadership and decision-making structures.
Her remarks come at a time when internal tensions are becoming more visible within ODM. Many young party members have publicly complained about being excluded from critical decisions, fueling debates about leadership transition and party renewal.
Recently, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino openly stated that the party should now be led by a younger generation. While expressing respect for ODM veterans, including party leader Oburu Odinga, Babu argued that the era of the old guard was coming to an end and that it was time for leadership to be handed over to him.
However, divisions remain among the youth. Another faction, led by Kasmuel McOure, has repeatedly pledged loyalty to Oburu Odinga, even as pressure mounts for leadership change.
The Kasmuel-led group has gone further to warn that members perceived to be opposing the party leader, including ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, could face removal from the party.
As debates over youth inclusion and leadership succession continue, Ruth Odinga’s remarks have added fresh momentum to calls for deep reforms within ODM, highlighting growing demands for a more inclusive, youth-driven political movement.
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