Oburu Answers Winnie Odinga After Her Electrifying Speech

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Oburu Oginga has sought to reassure party members that the party will not push anyone out, in response to an appeal by Winnie Odinga for deeper youth inclusion and stronger participation in the party.

Speaking at the ODM Special Delegates Convention (SDC) on Friday, March 27, Winnie delivered an address that resonated with members as she questioned how the party engages young people.

Winnie, who was cheered during her speech, stated that many young ODM supporters feel disconnected from the party’s decision-making processes, saying their involvement has largely been reduced to attending rallies and campaign events.

She said messages she had received from the grassroots, including from unemployed graduates, reflected a growing feeling that the party had forgotten them despite years of loyalty.

Winnie Demands Youth Inclusion Beyond Rallies

Winnie called for a leadership culture that listens to young people and acts on their ideas, especially when she insisted that youth participation must go beyond mobilisation and slogans.

Also Read: Edwin Sifuna Expelled as ODM Secretary General

“We want leadership that listens to our concerns and acts on our ideas. We want the participation of young people that extends beyond rallies,” Winnie said, adding that the party must deliberately create space for young people instead of only involving them when it needs voices to shout.

She went on to call for decentralised power within ODM, urging the party to strengthen branches and grassroots structures.

The EALA lawmaker said the youth league should be rebuilt into a platform where young people can join, share policy ideas, and help shape decisions and negotiations. She also said ODM must work for young people and ensure its systems genuinely serve them.

Later in her address, Winnie appealed for unity and understanding within the party, warning against pushing away members with different views.

“I am asking for a spirit of reconciliation and understanding. A spirit of listening that does not chase away or force out,” she said.

Oburu Responds to Winnie, Emphasises Inclusion and Party Discipline

Responding to Winnie Odinga, Oburu Oginga addressed the concerns she had raised, assuring delegates that the Orange Democratic Movement has no intention of expelling or pushing out any of its members.

Also Read: Oburu Clears Air on Babu Owino Replacing Sifuna as ODM Secretary General

He said ODM is committed to bringing people into the party rather than forcing them out, and that inclusion remains a core principle of the movement.

“I want to tell my daughter Winnie that we are not going to expel people. We’re going to be a party of including people and asking them to come in,” Oburu said.

At the same time, Oburu cautioned that openness must operate within clear boundaries, stressing that ODM is a democratic party governed by rules and structures.

He said that while the party welcomes debate and different views, democracy does not mean disorder or acting outside agreed systems.

According to Oburu, ODM has established structures that guide leadership and policymaking, and anyone holding a position of responsibility within the party must respect them.

Oburu explained that internal democracy allows minority opinions to be heard, but decisions are ultimately made by majority agreement. Oburu emphasised that this balance between inclusion and order is what keeps the party united and functional, warning that abandoning rules in the name of openness would undermine the very democracy ODM stands for.

The Convention ratified Oburu Oginga as the party’s bona-fied leader and endorsed pre-election talks between ODM and President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).