Babu Owino Snubbed As ODM Makes Major Party Leadership Shake-Up
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has announced a leadership shake-up as it navigates internal turbulence and prepares for a possible power transfer.
Raila Odinga will continue to lead the party, but there will be a number of changes, with new faces taking key positions.
This reshuffle coincides with growing concerns about regional representation and party unity.
ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna announced on Friday, August 9, that Abdulswamad Nassir, Governor of Mombasa, Simba Arati, Governor of Kisii, and Godfrey Osotsi, Senator of Vihiga, have been named as the new Deputy Party Leaders.
Congratulations to our proposed new officials. pic.twitter.com/l6Mp92Z1iu
— Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) August 9, 2024
This decision is intended to stabilize the party and address members’ dissatisfaction with the distribution of leadership roles.
Gladys Wanga, the Governor of Homa Bay, will now serve as the party’s Chairperson, succeeding John Mbadi.
Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo will also serve as Vice Chairperson alongside Turkana South MP John Ariko, with Ruth Odinga taking on the role of Deputy Organising Secretary.
The party also proposed Kisumu West MP Rosa Buyu as Secretary for Political Affairs.
These appointments follow the resignation of several ODM leaders who had joined President William Ruto’s Cabinet.
Wycliffe Oparanya and Hassan Joho, Deputy Party Leaders; Opiyo Wandayi (Majority Leader); and John Mbadi, Chairperson, all resigned from their ODM positions after being appointed to key positions in government.
This shift left the party with vacant positions, which prompted the recent restructuring.
The decision to promote Arati, Osotsi, and Nassir to Deputy Party Leaders is part of a larger strategy to ensure continuity and smooth governance within ODM.
Especially as Odinga considers a run for the African Union Commission Chairperson position in the upcoming election. ODM’s recent moves also reflect ongoing internal conflict.
A group of Gusii leaders expressed dissatisfaction with the current leadership structure, claiming that their community has been sidelined.
Leaders from the region, including Governor Arati and several MPs, had called for more equitable representation in the party’s leadership.
This dissatisfaction has been exacerbated by the recent appointment of top ODM figures to government positions, leaving some regional leaders feeling marginalized.
The call for a fair distribution of leadership roles stems from what some see as an imbalance in how power is distributed across the party’s various regions.
Babu Owino Snubbed As ODM Makes Major Party Leadership Shake-Up
