Newsslip

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has accused its coalition partners of attempting to wrest parliamentary leadership from the party through what it describes as false accusations.

In a statement, national chairperson, Gladys Wanga dismissed claims that ODM had joined President William Ruto’s administration.“As a party, we will not agree to engage with anyone acting in bad faith and with ulterior motives. On the matter at hand—the questioning of ODM and Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga’s commitment to the opposition—our partners are not acting in good faith,” she stated.

Wanga further accused the coalition partners of hiding behind the actions of four ODM members who recently joined the government to undermine the party’s leadership in Parliament. The statement comes amid growing tensions within the coalition, as some members continue to question ODM’s dedication to its opposition role following the appointment of several senior ODM members to Cabinet positions in President William Ruto’s administration.

ODM clarified that the decision to release its members was “made in response to a national emergency and the urgent need to stabilize the country following the Gen-Z demonstrations that threatened to topple President Ruto’s government.” The party emphasized that these appointments were not an indication of disloyalty but a necessary step to safeguard the nation.

ODM continues to face internal strife within the coalition.Several coalition partners, including the Wiper party, DAP-K, PNU, Jubilee, and Nark-Kenya, have accused ODM of betraying the coalition’s unity.Earlier ODM leader Raila Odinga stated that retired President Uhuru Kenyatta had personally reached out to him to help stabilize the country in the wake of the deadly protests.

This claim, however, has been disputed by some, including Jubilee Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni.In recent developments, Nark-Kenya wrote to the coalition’s leadership, announcing its withdrawal from the alliance.Similarly, DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa disclosed that his party is in the process of formally withdrawing from the coalition, further deepening the crisis within the opposition alliance.