Oburu Calls Urgent Odinga Family Meeting After Ida Appointment by Ruto
It seems like tensions are brewing within the Odinga family, especially after President William Ruto appointed Mama Ida Odinga as Kenya’s Ambassador to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on Friday.
Raila Odinga’s eldest son, Raila Odinga Junior, seemed taken aback by the announcement, implying that the family might not have been fully in the loop before this decision was made.
Just moments after the news broke, he tweeted—then quickly deleted—a hint that there were pressing matters to discuss with his uncle, Oburu Odinga, who leads the ODM party and is seen as the family’s patriarch, though he didn’t go into details about what those matters were.
Not long after, he shared another post, clarifying that while he’s not a politician and holds everyone in high regard, he had reached out to his uncle, who agreed to convene an urgent family meeting on February 1 to talk things over.
“I’m not a politician. I love everyone and respect everyone. My uncle has agreed to a family meeting on the 1st; I would like it sooner. I don’t know what is happening. Do not involve me in the politics,” Junior said, pointing to the personal and political sensitivities surrounding Ida Odinga’s appointment.
After the passing of their father, former Prime Minister Raila, both Junior and his sister Winnie Odinga have been increasingly vocal about their worries regarding the ODM’s ongoing partnership with the ruling UDA. They believe the party should forge a more independent political path as we approach the 2027 elections.
Political analysts note that the siblings’ public appearances and comments highlight a generational and strategic rift within the party. Some family members and party leaders are in favor of maintaining ties with the government, while others are advocating for a stronger assertion of ODM’s political identity.
Their participation in recent rallies, including the January 18 event in their father’s ‘political bedroom’ in Kibra, has only heightened these tensions. It’s clear that the internal discussions within ODM are not merely political; they’re deeply personal, stemming from differing visions for the party’s future without Raila.
Meanwhile, the ODM party is facing its own set of challenges, with two factions emerging: one backing party leader Oburu and the other siding with Secretary General Edwin Sifuna.
These tensions have escalated further due to disputes within the party, particularly disagreements between some ODM leaders and Minority Leader in the National Assembly, Junet Mohamed, over who should take the blame for Raila’s defeat in the 2022 elections.
Despite the differences, both ODM and the ruling party have shown a willingness to create a pre-election alliance as we approach the 2027 general elections. This move builds on the agreement they reached after the fiercely contested 2022 elections.
Ida, who hasn’t yet shared her thoughts on her new role, is now waiting for the National Assembly to review and approve her appointment before she heads to her new office at the Gigiri headquarters in Nairobi.
Oburu Calls Urgent Odinga Family Meeting After Ida Appointment by Ruto
