ODM leaders Edwin Sifuna and party leader Raila Odinga..,Photo/courtesy.
By IP reporter
NAIROBI
The storm within ODM over 2027 power-sharing has revived a haunting question: was Raila Odinga ever truly interested in the Deputy President’s seat, or was the party bargaining for a position its leader never coveted?
Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai has turned the spotlight on ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, accusing him of betraying the party and weakening its leverage.
To Alai, Sifuna is a plant of impeached former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, sent to “ensure ODM is left with the short end of the stick.”
But even as ODM leaders lament the loss of influence, Raila himself has been conspicuously quiet.
With his focus trained on the African Union Commission chairmanship, Odinga has shown little appetite for fighting over the deputy slot — now firmly occupied by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, who has rapidly earned Ruto’s trust.
“ODM was to have a strong submission for Deputy President. That seems to have slipped away as Kindiki has built a credible profile,” Alai thundered. “How will ODM dethrone Kindiki from this position? How?”
Yet the harsh truth is that Raila, at this stage of his career, has rarely hinted at being anyone’s running mate.
His silence suggests that the seat was always more of a bargaining chip for ODM lieutenants than a realistic political goal for the party leader himself.
The internal contradictions deepen in Nairobi, where Alai accuses Sifuna of shielding Governor Johnson Sakaja despite mounting discontent.
For Alai, this makes ODM appear unfit to govern the capital — let alone demand the second-highest office in the land.
However behind the insults lies a strategic drift: ODM is fighting over a position its leader may never have wanted, while UDA consolidates its ranks around Kindiki.
In politics, silence can be as powerful as words and Raila’s silence on the deputy seat may well be ODM’s loudest answer.
🕰️ ODM’s Shifting Bargaining Chips (2017–2027)
2017–2022:
ODM rides Raila’s presidential bids, positions itself as the natural alternative to Jubilee/handshake politics. Deputy President slot never in play.
2022:
After Raila’s fifth presidential loss, ODM’s bargaining strength shrinks. Internal whispers begin about securing a power-sharing deal with Ruto’s UDA in the future.
2023–2024:
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua faces impeachment pressure. ODM leaders quietly signal interest in the seat as part of a “grand realignment.”
2025:
Gachagua is impeached. Kithure Kindiki steps in and quickly consolidates loyalty around Ruto, making himself the presumptive 2027 running mate.
ODM’s chance fades.
Meanwhile in Nairobi:
ODM had also hoped to control the capital through oversight.
Friction between Governor Johnson Sakaja and ODM SG Edwin Sifuna leaves the party appearing weak and complicit.
2027 Outlook:
With Raila failure to clinch the African Union Commission chairmanship and later joining the broad based government ,ODM is caught in limbo: still demanding the Deputy Presidency, but without its leader showing real interest.
ODM may be chasing a seat its leader never wanted.
