EALA MP Winnie Odinga has refuted claims that she is on bad terms with her uncle, Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, who is also the leader of ODM.
Speaking Saturday, December 13, Winnie clarified that she has never clashed with Oburu and wouldn't intend to do it any time soon.
She noted that her loyalty is to Oburu, who is not only her leader in ODM, but also her uncle and head of their family following the demise of her father, the late Raila Odinga.
"The party leader is my uncle, and I love him. He's the only father I have left. There's no day I'll be in a faction, and he's not there. He's the head of my family, and I am always with him. That's the faction I belong to, if there are factions," Winnie said.
She acknowledged that with the vastness of ODM, differences of opinion would occur at any time.
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That, however, would not mean that there is no unity or that there are doubts with the current leadership.
"The party is okay, you know, a party with so many people, over 8 million registered members, we're going to have disagreements. We're together, we've had differences of opinion on certain things, but the most important thing is we stick together, we come together, and they give us some space so that we can make a party that truly covers the width and breadth of this country called Kenya. The party leader is my uncle, I love him," she said.
This came weeks after Winnie had seemed to cast doubts on the capability of Oburu to steer ODM post-Raila.
During ODM’s 20th anniversary celebrations in October, Winnie openly questioned her uncle’s suitability to lead the party.
Speaking at the event in Mombasa, she argued that her late father had possessed the unique skills necessary to steer ODM through its partnership with Ruto’s UDA.
Winnie insisted that no current leader matched his calibre and urged the party to convene a National Delegates Conference (NDC) so members could formally select new leadership.
"In matters concerning the broad-based government, ODM placed its trust in one individual, Raila Amolo Odinga. That relationship is complex. So now, as others step forward to manage it, we must ask: are they truly equipped for the task? This isn’t for me to decide, but for ODM members. That’s why I’m calling for an NDC, to let the people decide who should lead," she said.
In a swift rebuttal, Oburu defended his readiness to succeed Raila, pointing to his long-standing involvement in his brother’s political journey and his deep grasp of Raila’s strategies.
"I lived with Raila for 80 years. In all that he did and where he went, I was always there. And there is no single day I betrayed my brother," he said.
Oburu stressed that despite Raila’s towering role in national politics, he had consistently been available to provide guidance as his elder sibling. He added that he respected Raila’s leadership and legacy, regardless of their age difference.
Clearly unsettled by Winnie’s remarks, Oburu said he planned to speak with her privately to address her concerns. Nevertheless, he pledged to lead ODM with the same determination and strategic clarity that had characterised Raila’s tenure.
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