Speaking during a charged political gathering in Migori, the Siaya governor broke ranks and directly confronted senior ODM figures, including Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi and Senator Oburu Odinga, accusing them of showering the government with uncritical and excessive praise.
Orengo’s remarks have exposed a deepening ideological divide within ODM, a party long defined by its role as Kenya’s leading opposition force.
At the heart of his message was a firm insistence that ODM must safeguard its independence and resist political arrangements that blur the line between government and opposition.
He cautioned that the much-touted “Broad-Based Government” may appear inclusive on the surface, but risks eroding the party’s core values and weakening its constitutional duty to hold power to account.
According to Orengo, political convenience should never come at the expense of principle.
He warned that short-term gains enjoyed by a few individuals could cost the party its credibility, identity, and trust among supporters. In his view, ODM’s strength has always rested on its ability to speak truth to power, not to echo the praises of those in government.
The governor further framed the current rapprochement with the ruling coalition as a calculated strategy aimed at neutralizing the opposition from within.
By embracing flattery and cooperation without clear boundaries, he argued, ODM risks being slowly absorbed into the Kenya Kwanza political framework, leaving it hollowed out and ineffective.
Orengo’s intervention is widely seen as an attempt to draw a clear red line and rally party members who fear ODM is losing its political soul.
With the 2027 general elections on the horizon, his warning serves as a call for introspection and renewal, urging the party to reclaim its oppositional voice, protect its autonomy, and remain relevant to the millions of Kenyans who look to it as an alternative to the current regime.
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