ODM leadership transition: Oburu Oginga confirmed as party leader after Raila Odinga’s death
The ODM Central Management Committee has confirmed Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga as party leader, urging unity and support as the movement enters a new chapter following Raila Odinga’s death.
Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga is set to officially take over as the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader following an overwhelming endorsement by the party’s top decision-making organ on Monday.
The Central Management Committee, chaired by Oburu in Nairobi, resolved to confirm him as the replacement for his late brother and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
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Oburu was first appointed acting party leader on October 16, 2025, by the National Executive Council (NEC), just a day after Raila’s passing in India. The Central Committee has now reaffirmed that decision.
“This being the first meeting of the committee since the passing of the party leader, the top party organ that we endorse Hon. Dr Oburu Oginga as the new party leader urges the party rank and file to accord him all the necessary support and cooperation to enable him guide the party through this difficult time,” Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna said after the nearly four-hour meeting.
The Orange party used its first formal meeting after Raila’s death to rally for unity, urging members across the country to back Oburu’s leadership.
The committee said the meeting laid a solid foundation for unity and urged the media to help sustain this momentum rather than highlight internal divisions.
“I beseech the media to avoid the tendency for sensationalism and the incessant hunt for negative news within the party. ODM’s biggest problem now will not be which faction is winning against which one,” Sifuna said.
Oburu’s assumption of office comes as ODM marks its 20th anniversary and begins charting its future in the post-Raila era.
His confirmation is expected to ease internal tensions and stabilise the party, which has recently been grappling with leadership wrangles and competing loyalties.
The leadership further called on members to uphold the ideals championed by the late Raila Odinga — unity, harmony, and peaceful coexistence — as the party looks ahead to the 2027 General Election.
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