Winnie Odinga has called for the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to convene a fresh National Delegates Conference (NDC) to decide who will be responsible for managing the party’s engagement with the broad-based government.
Speaking during ODM’s 20th anniversary celebrations at the Mama Ngina Waterfront in Mombasa on Saturday, November 15, 2025, Winnie underscored that the responsibility of navigating the party’s relationship with the Kenya Kwanza administration had always been placed solely on Raila Odinga due to its complexity.
She noted that with Raila’s passing, questions have emerged over individuals attempting to assume the role without formal party endorsement.
“When it came to the issue of the broad-based government, the people of ODM trusted only one person to manage that relationship, and that person was Raila Odinga,” Winnie said, cautioning against unilateral decisions made in his absence.
Winnie stressed that the matter should be resolved collectively by ODM members and formally sanctioned through party structures. She therefore urged the party to organise a new NDC to select the individual or team that will oversee this critical engagement moving forward.
She emphasised that such a conference would reinforce transparency, uphold party processes, and ensure that strategic responsibilities within ODM are allocated legitimately.
“That relationship is complicated, and we are now questioning those who have taken it upon themselves to manage it after Raila’s passing. This is not mine to answer; it belongs to the members of ODM. That is why I am requesting a fresh National Delegates Conference to determine who will manage that relationship,” she said.
During her address, Winnie also thanked the party chairperson and the event’s organising committee for giving her the opportunity to speak. She acknowledged the emotional significance of the day, noting that it marked exactly one month since Raila Odinga’s passing.
She said the moment brought her a sense of calm and renewed hope for the party’s future.
“I did not know I would speak today. But as I sat there, I realised today, November 15, marks one month since Raila left us. I want to thank the organising team for allowing me, for the first time, to shed tears not of pain, but of hope and peace and to feel that we can now move forward after his passing,” Winnie said.
