Media reports on Sunday, January 21, hinted at possible disquiet within the Raila Odinga-led Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.

According to the reports, ODM members had questioned the commitment of Suna East Member of Parliament Junet Mohamed and even contemplated taking disciplinary action.

The Minority Whip in the National Assembly has over the years enjoyed a special status within the opposition party and a close relationship with Party Leader Raila Odinga.

Lately, however, some members in the party have raised concerns about his absence in key meetings and his overall commitment to the party’s objectives.

Junet had positioned himself as an ardent supporter and defender of Odinga both in parliament and public meetings for the better part of his political career.

In turn, the Suna East legislator earned himself a place close to the ODM Principal and held positions including that of Azimio la Umoja Council Secretary. 

Since the 2022 elections, however, Junet went low key in ODM’s affairs despite having played a key role in the party’s campaigns, thereby sparking speculations about his possible fallout with party luminaries.

Nonetheless, if true, this wouldn’t be a first as opposition leader Raila Odinga has had several cases of frosty ending with some of his former ardent defenders in his history.

Raila Falls Out with Ruto

First it was his alliance with President William Ruto who had in the run up to the 2007 elections played a crucial role in ODM’s campaigns.

In the contentious elections where ODM lost to President Mwai Kibaki’s Party of National Unity (PNU), Ruto was part of the Pentagon team that led the Orange Party’s campaigns across the country.

His role in the campaigns was prominent and was also vocal in the aftermath where he passionately led ODM members in rejecting the results announced by the then Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK).

At the time, Ruto passionately highlighted some of the irregularities spotted in the 2007 elections in the media.

During the announcement of the 2007 results, Ruto, then an energetic youthful man, fearlessly confronted opponents while defending the ODM party. 

He would later form part of the team that negotiated on behalf of ODM in the National Accord Committee which later led to the creation of the Prime Minister position.

Frosty Relationship with Raila in the Grand Coalition Government

Raila then assumed his position as the Prime Minister under the Grand Coalition government with Ruto assuming a position in the cabinet in 2008 as the agriculture minister.

But a fallout between the two was always coming. In 2010, a reshuffle purge fell on President Ruto which saw him leave the Ministry of Agriculture to the Ministry of Education.

By then, the relationship between him and Odinga had turned frosty especially after the then Eldoret North MP was named among the famous “Ocampo Six” selected to face charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Ruto then left his position in the cabinet and assumed a critical role in opposing Raila both in the house and outside parliament. 

Despite having been among the founding members of ODM, he led a breakaway group of North Rift leaders in decamping from ODM.

This marked the end of his involvement with ODM. In 2012, Ruto teamed up with Uhuru in an alliance that won the March 2013 elections against Raila.

Ababu Namwamba’s Rise and Fall in ODM

With Ruto’s exit from ODM, younger leaders like current Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba emerged.

In 2008, Namwamba had just won the Budalangi parliamentary seat on an ODM ticket.

Two weeks after the contested December 27, 2007, elections, the newly elected MPs convened in parliament for the election of the house Speaker.

Kibaki who was present as the then MP for Othaya was invited to vote first by the then clerk of the National Assembly.

However, Ababu was supposed to be the second MP to cast his vote after the President based on the alphabetical order of MPs’ names.

As such, the youthful lawyer declined to vote and insisted that the voting process had to follow an alphabetical order.

He rose on several points of order to challenge the decision to have Kibaki vote first affirming that his election was questionable.

From that point, Ababu’s loyalty to the Raila Odinga-led party became unquestionable.

He would later rise to prominent positions within the party including that of Sports Minister in the Grand Coalition Government and the Party’s Secretary General. 

In 2016, however, Ababu’s journey as a key and loyal ODM member took a different turn when he joined a section of MPs from Western Kenya in complaining about frustrations within the ODM Party.

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He teamed up with leaders including Busia Governor Governor Paul Otuoma, then Funyula MP, in pushing for the creation of a Third Force party bringing together leaders from Western Kenya.

Eventually, Namwamba resigned from his position as ODM Secretary General in 2016, marking an end to his strong political ties with Raila Odinga.

John Mbadi Mixed Fortunes in ODM

By then, former Suba MP John Mbadi was closely following Ababu’s footsteps on his way to assuming a close position to ODM supremo Raila Odinga.

The MP became a fierce foot soldier of ODM both in parliament and local media stations, a move which in turn earned him trust from Odinga.

In the 11th and 12th parliaments characterized by hostilities between the government side and the opposition, John Mbadi stood out among the bold opposition leaders in keeping the ruling faction in check.

Thanks to his passion towards advancing ODM’s interest and defending Raila Odinga, Mbadi eventually earned himself the position as ODM’s Chairperson.

He would then assume the position of Minority Leader in the National Assembly in the 12th parliament where he served as a member of several key committees.

In the run up to the 2022 elections, however, Mbadi was embroiled in a contest with Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga in the fight for the party’s ticket in the gubernatorial elections.

ODM convinced him to drop his aspirations in favor of Wanga and failed to contest for an elective seat for the first time in over a decade.

After the elections and resumption of parliament, Mbadi landed a nomination slot in parliament.

Also Read: I am Not Resigning Anytime Soon- Ababu Namwamba

ODM chose Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi to be the Minority Leader, a move that further rattled the vocal politician.

Amid pressure from some members pushing him to resign as the party’s chair, Mbadi asserted that he was ready to relinquish the position.

Other close confidants who later fell out with Odinga include Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi who was once his preferred choice for the Vice President post.