Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Oburu Oginga has denied targeting Kithure Kindiki’s position as the Deputy President, assuring him that he was a friend, not a foe.
While speaking during a NYOTA disbursement event in Kisumu on Monday, February 2, Oginga assured Kindiki that his position in government was not in danger, as talks between ODM and President William Ruto’s UDA shift into higher gear.
“As we move forward, we are not going to look for less. However, Mr. Deputy President (Kindiki), do not think that we want your seat or that we want to kick you out,” Oginga said.
“Please, you are our friend, but as we negotiate, we are going to negotiate what our people deserve,” he added.
The latest comes after a past interview in which Oginga listed the DP position as one of the irreducible minimums if the two parties were to enter into a coalition agreement ahead of the 2027 General Election.
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“If we have to go for a lower position, it must not be lower than number two (deputy president) in any formation. That is my take. We should not take less than that,” Oginga stated during the interview.
His comments sparked heated debate on the prospects of Kindiki’s chances of becoming Ruto’s running mate in the upcoming polls, with Kindiki only ascending to the DP position after his predecessor, Rigathi Gachagua, was impeached.
Such a demand would greatly influence the outcome of the 2027 polls and affect both Ruto and the United Opposition, should ODM decide to ditch the President and seek to unseat him in 2027.
Further, even as the two parties enter into structured pre-election coalition talks, senior ODM officials, such as national chairperson Gladys Wanga, have publicly pushed for a 50-50 power-sharing deal with UDA, which essentially is an equal split of government positions and influence if they enter a coalition.
This implies a strong demand for top slots, including the deputy president position. Other party leaders have said they won’t accept a coalition that does not reflect the influence of ODM in government and national politics as a whole.
The coalition talks have stemmed from the current broad-based agreement between UDA & ODM, which is anchored on a 10-point agenda that the former party leader, Raila Odinga, endorsed in March 2025.
Meanwhile, Kindiki has in the past expressed his political ambitions, saying that he will support Ruto in 2027 and possibly run for the Presidency in 2032.
