The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has issued a statement on the deliberately misleading reports by the Standard Newspaper.
Standard Newspaper reported that ODM ferried 6,000 delegates to Nairobi for the National Delegates Conference on Friday, March 27, 2026, at a cost of KSh 100 million.
ODM has, however, stated that the allegations are false, baseless, and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public and diminish the credibility of our party.
“Our attention has been drawn to a misleading and sensational headline published by The Standard Group alleging that ODM ferried 6,000 delegates to Nairobi for our National Delegates Conference on Friday, 27 March 2026, at a cost of KSh 100 million, and that delegates received,” part of the statement read.
Additionally, the party explained that the ODM Constitution is explicit on the composition of the National Delegates Conference (NDC).
According to the ODM Constitution, the required number of accredited delegates is 3,000; any figure above this is illegal.
ODM has raised questions about the reports by the Standard that 6,000 delegates attended the NDC, which is a number above the limit of accredited delegates as dictated by the party’s constitution.
In addition, the statement explained that all internal processes, including delegates’ conferences, are conducted within the framework of the constitution and are supported by legitimate party mechanisms.
According to the party, funding from members of the party and allocations from the Political Parties Fund are provided by law.
ODM response to the Standard Newspaper Reports
The party condemned the media outlet, stating that the reports were exaggerated, inaccurate, and reckless, and a disregard for facts by a media house that is increasingly gaining a reputation for publishing propaganda.
In addition, the party noted that the attempt to reduce a significant national political event into a narrative of regional mobilization and financial impropriety is not only irresponsible.
Furthermore, the reporting by the Standard was termed by the party as indicative of a broader agenda to mischaracterize ODM’s identity and strength.
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Standard was urged by the party to hold the party’s political competitors’ briefs with a semblance of ethics and fidelity to the truth.
“The attempt to reduce a significant national political event into a narrative of regional mobilization and financial impropriety is not only irresponsible but also indicative of a broader agenda to mischaracterize ODM’s identity and strength. Even where the Standard appears intent on holding brief for our political competitors, it must, at the very least, do so with some semblance of ethics and fidelity to the truth,” read the statement.
ODM Message to the Public
Members of the party and the public were urged to remain focused on the substantive outcomes of the National Delegates Conference (NDC).
In addition, the party stated that coalition building between the party and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) was neither new nor unusual in Kenyan politics.
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According to the statement, the approach used by the ODM has always been guided by the broader objective of delivering for the people of Kenya.
Moreover, the party explained that any ongoing or prospective engagement with President William Ruto must be understood within the same framework of advancing national interests.
However, the party affirmed that it is an equal stakeholder in any political arrangement and is not subordinate to any individual or formation.
Call to the Media
ODM Minority Leader, National Assembly Director of Campaigns and Elections, Junet Mohamed, has called upon the media to uphold the principles of responsible journalism by verifying facts before publication.
In addition, the party has asked the media to refrain from peddling unsubstantiated claims that mislead the public.
The transition of the Orange Democratic Movement from a revolutionary vanguard to a “Special Purpose Vehicle” for Tumbocrat liquidation is a tragic, yet predictable, spectacle. With the passing of the Enigma, Raila Odinga, the party’s ideological soul hasn’t just been misplaced—it has been auctioned off to the highest bidder by a cabal of geriatric gatekeepers who prioritize political tokenism over the survival of a movement.
Here is the “cold-chilling” reality of the current state of ODM:
1. The Octogenarian “Youth Leader” Farce
There is no greater insult to the Gen Z and the Niko Kadi generation than the sight of an 80-year-old Oburu Odinga masquerading as a custodian of youth aspirations. To call oneself a “youth leader” at eighty is not just a biological delusion; it is a strategic act of hegemony. It is a desperate attempt to sit on the lid of a boiling pot of youthful revolution to ensure the steam only escapes when it serves the family’s waning influence. He has nothing to lose, and therefore, he treats the party’s future as a disposable asset.
2. From Ideology to “Delegates for Sale”
The recent denials regarding the Ksh 100 million spending and funding rows are the classic symptoms of a party in its death throes. When a party’s primary news output shifts from “Policy and Reform” to “Dismissing Claims of Delegate Payments,” the transformation is complete. ODM has moved from a movement of the people to a marketplace of mercenaries. The “ideals” are gone; only the “infrastructure of brokerage” remains.
3. The “Siasa Mbaya, Maisha Mbaya” Perpetual Loop
By clinging to the status quo, the current leadership is sentencing their traditional base to a life of perpetual misery. They have mastered the art of marginalization—using the “victimhood” narrative to secure tokens for themselves at the national table while the grassroots continues to languish. This is the hubris of a leadership that thinks its supporters are a fixed deposit that doesn’t require interest or maintenance.
4. The Betrayal of the Enigma’s Legacy
Raila Odinga built a party that challenged the foundation of the Kenyan state. His “blood brothers” and the current “Tumbocrats” are now cannibalizing that legacy for short-term survival. They are forgoing the identity of the party to become a subservient extension of the very system the Enigma fought against. They are not leading a party; they are presiding over a funeral procession where the coffin is the aspirations of millions of Kenyans.
5. The Rise of Accountability
The youth are no longer looking for “Baba” figures to give them direction; they are looking for Systems, Results, and Accountability. The Niko Kadi drive proves that the era of political godfathers is over. While the octogenarians argue over delegate fees and funding rows, the ground is shifting beneath their feet.
The Bottom Line: ODM is currently being managed like a family estate rather than a national institution. When a party’s leadership is more interested in “denying funding rows” than “addressing hunger rows,” it has ceased to be a political party and has become a liquidation committee. The revolutionary spirit cannot be inherited—it must be practiced. And right now, all we see is a desperate attempt to maintain a Status Quo that has already been rejected by history.