Top Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leaders from Homa Bay county have declared that the party will not associate with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in any coalition engagements.
They noted that his political style and record on inclusivity does not align with ODM’s values.
Speaking weekend during an economic empowerment forum in Ndhiwa, ODM National Chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi and Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament Peter Kaluma said the party had made a deliberate decision to keep off engagements with the former Mathira MP.
Governor Wanga said ODM remains focused on expanding its political base and strengthening negotiations with the Kenya Kwanza administration through the Kenya Kwanza-ODM broad-based framework.
She insisted that the party has no plans of working with Mr Gachagua at any level.
“As ODM we have a direction and a plan. We are not going to work with Rigathi Gachagua. Our engagement is with government and with the people so that we can deliver development,” Ms Wanga said.
She added that the party was still strong in its traditional zones and had already mapped strategies to increase its number of elected leaders in the 2027 General Election.
Treasury CS John Mbadi said the rift between ODM and the former deputy president dates back to his time in office when he was accused of sidelining some communities in the distribution of national development projects.
Mr Mbadi described Mr Gachagua as a leader who advances tribal politics at the expense of national unity.
“Development belongs to all Kenyans. You cannot purport to lead this country and at the same time exclude certain communities. That is not the kind of leadership we want to associate with,” the CS said.
He pledged to sustain weekly visits to Homa Bay and other Nyanza counties to mobilize support for ODM and ensure the party clinches more parliamentary and county assembly seats next year.
Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma said the political realignments ahead of 2027 required sober leadership and inclusivity. He expressed confidence that President William Ruto would be re-elected, and said Nyanza was ready to increase its support for Kenya Kwanza as part of the current cooperation between ODM and UDA.
The three leaders told residents that the priority for ODM in the coming months would be voter registration, economic empowerment and service delivery, arguing that numbers would determine how much resources counties receive from the national government. They urged residents to acquire national identity cards and register as voters in good time.
By Brenda Odindo/Davis Langat
