Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga / FILE
ODM leader Raila Odinga is scheduled to meet new party officials in Kakamega on Friday, bringing together delegates elected at the grassroots during constituency-level polls.
Deputy party leader and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi said the gathering aims to orient the delegates for the upcoming county and national party elections.
“The meeting will also be used to recognise and welcome the new party officials and prepare them for the task ahead of them,” he said.
Having completed the initial phase – from polling stations to wards and constituencies – Osotsi noted that the next step involves internal elections at both county and national levels.
This is part of ODM’s broader efforts to rejuvenate itself ahead of the 2027 general election and the forthcoming ODM@20 celebrations, set to span all 47 counties, he explained.
Patchwork leadership in Kakamega to be resolved
The meeting will also settle ongoing leadership tensions in Kakamega county. With Governor Fernandes Barasa serving as acting party chairman, a confirmed election for the position is now underway.
“Kakamega will now elect its chairman… We hope this will strengthen the party,” Osotsi said.
Raila is expected to use the meeting to clarify his proposal for a national conclave to dialogue around issues affecting the country.
The conclave is envisioned to bring together political parties, civil society, faith-based leaders and the youth.
During his Saba Saba Day address, the former Prime Minister proposed that the outcome of the planned national "conclave" be subjected to a vote.
While the move is framed as a citizen-driven reform agenda, insiders within ODM say it is part of a broader strategy to rebrand Raila's image, rebuild grassroots support and strategically reposition him for a possible sixth run for the presidency.
Unlike the contentious Building Bridges Initiative, Raila is fronting the latest effort as constitutionally grounded and entirely citizen-led.
In 2005, the ODM leader used a referendum as a political springboard, defeating then President Mwai Kibaki's camp before coming close to unseating him in the 2007 presidential race.
