The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, Oburu Odinga, has cleared the air on the replacement of Edwin Sifuna as the party Secretary General following a circulating statement calling for a Special National Delegates Conference scheduled for 27th March 2026.
The purported notice, circulated online and attributed to the Daily Nation of 19th March 2026, included an agenda on party leadership appointments and committee decisions.
“Consider and approve proposals endorsed in principle by the NEC, including: The recommendation for the creation of an additional position of Deputy Party Leader to accommodate Hon. Winnie Odinga; The endorsement of Hon. Babu Owino as a candidate for the position of Secretary General of the Party,” read the agenda in part.
Oburu Odinga Denounces Fake Special Delegates Conference Notice
Oburu Odinga, in a statement, confirmed that no such content has appeared in any official newspaper or ODM communication and labeled the publication fake.
Further clarifications were made by the ODM party in a statement explaining the following on why the notice was fake;
- The party leader does not sign notices of NDC/SDC or any other meeting of the party.
- A notice of a meeting of such a magnitude cannot be issued less than 21 days.
- The Daily Nation newspaper has no record of publishing the purported notice. Fake on arrival.
Also Read: Tribunal Stops Sifuna’s Removal as ODM Secretary General
In response to the flagged notice, the Embakasi East MP, Babu Owino, stated that his interest is in the position of ODM Party Leader.
“I want to be the Party Leader, not Secretary General,” he said in a statement.
On March 18, the party shared that its Central Committee members held a brief meeting at the Office of the Party Leader in Nairobi to discuss key party matters ahead of the Special Delegates Convention (SDC), scheduled for Friday, 27th, in Nairobi, under the #TukoTayari banner.
However, no details of the meeting were shared, and, as stated earlier in an official statement, the main agenda item of the special delegates’ meeting was ratifying resolutions from the National Governing Council on party leadership and addressing matters related to Article 87 of the ODM constitution.
Also Read: Babu Owino Declares Stance on Replacing Oburu as ODM Leader
Winnie Odinga Endorsed For ODM Deputy Party Leader Position
Winnie Odinga, daughter of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and an East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP, termed the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) her political “home” after receiving formal endorsement from Nairobi delegates for the role of Deputy Party Leader.
During a consultative meeting with ODM delegates from Nairobi’s 17 constituencies on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation, Winnie talked of her deep connection to the party, citing her family’s longstanding legacy within ODM.
“This party is our home. It is a home that my father built. I, Winnie Odinga, where else would I go?” she questioned.
