- Winnie Odinga reaffirmed her loyalty to her uncle Oburu Oginga, insisting that he is her ODM leader and also the head of their family following the death of Raila
- He acknowledged the existence of differences of opinion within many ODM members but insisted that unity and collective leadership still exist
- Oburu defended his readiness to succeed Raila, citing decades of political cooperation and promising to lead ODM with the same ambition
Member of Parliament for EALA, Winnie Odingahas dismissed suggestions that he is in conflict with his uncle, Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, who currently leads ODM.
Source: Facebook
Who does Winnie Odinga have loyalty to?
Speaking on Saturday, December 13, Winnie explained that she has never had a conflict with Oburu and has no intention of doing so.
He emphasized his loyalty to him, noting that he is not only his political leader within ODM but also his uncle and the head of their family following the death of his father, the late Raila Odinga.
“The leader of the party is my uncle, and I love him. He is the only father left for me. There is no day I will be in a certain group and he is not there. He is the head of my family, and I am always with him. That is the group I am related to, if there are groups,” said Winnie.
He admitted that due to the size of ODM, disagreement is inevitable, but he emphasized that this does not weaken unity or the current leadership.
“The party is fine, you know, a party with so many people, more than 8 million registered members, there must be differences of opinion. We are together, we have had differences of opinion about some things, but the most important thing is that we stay together, we come together, and they give us a chance so that we can build a party that covers the breadth and depth of this country called Kenya. The leader of the party is my uncle, I love him,” he said.
His comments came a few weeks after he appeared to question Oburu’s ability to lead ODM in the post-Raila era.
Did Winnie Odinga challenge Oburu??
During ODM’s 20th anniversary in October, Winnie openly raised doubts about her uncle’s suitability to lead the party.
Speaking in Mombasa, he said that his late father had the unique skills needed to lead ODM through his collaboration with UDA Ruto.
He emphasized that no current leader matched his level and called on the party to convene a National Delegates Conference (NDC) so that members can officially elect a new leadership.
Source: Facebook
Winnie said that in matters concerning integrated government, ODM had placed its trust in one person, Raila, and that the relationship was difficult.
He explained that as others came forward to manage it, the question was whether they had the real ability to carry out that role.
Winnie added that it was not her responsibility to decide that but it was the responsibility of the ODM members, which is why she was calling for a National Conference of Delegates so that the people can decide who should lead.
How Oburu Oginga responded to Winnie Odinga’s statements
In response, Oburu defended his readiness to succeed Raila, citing his long involvement in his brother’s political journey and his deep understanding of Raila’s strategies.
Oburu said that he lived with Raila for 80 years and that in everything Raila did and everywhere he went, he was present.
He added that there was not a single day that he ever betrayed his brother.
The senator emphasized that despite Raila’s strong influence in national politics, he was always ready to give guidance like his elder brother.
He added that he respected Raila’s leadership and legacy, regardless of their age difference.
Clearly affected by Winnie’s previous statements, Oburu said he intended to speak to her privately to address his concerns.
However, he promised to lead ODM with the same determination and strategic clarity that characterized Raila’s leadership.
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