A video of ODM Leader Oburu Odinga declaring that he will vie for the presidency in 2027 has gone viral on Friday, April 17.
The video clip elicited reactions from Kenyans and politicians, including Pauline Njoroge, who shared the clip on her social media accounts with a 'surprised' emoji.
Many Kenyans wondered whether the clip was real and, if so, signalled the end of the broad-based government deal between ODM and UDA.
"I want to make it absolutely clear that our constitution already had a presidential candidate for our party, and it is the party leader. I am the Presidential candidate for ODM," Oburu said in the clip
However, a spot check conducted by Nairobi Leo on Friday, April 17, revealed that the video is real, but outdated.
Oburu shared the video on his official Facebook account on December 31, 2025. In the recording, he spoke about the future of the ODM party ahead of the 2027 elections.
In the clip, he stated that 2026 was an important year for the Orange party as it needed to make serious decisions before the election year.
"2026 is a very crucial year for our party because things must be worked out before 2027. Before the end of the year, we shall have clearly known whether we are going alone or getting into a coalition with other parties," the ODM Party Leader stated.
Earlier in the clip, Oburu had also mentioned that the 'Wantam' or 'Tutam' talks were not the party policy and that the relationship was based on the implementation of the 10-point agenda.
The video emerged just a day after ODM, through its Central Committee, demanded respect from the UDA party.
Deputy Secretary General Catherine Omanyo claimed that some senior-ranking UDA members made unwarranted public utterances, which caused anxiety and disquiet among ODM members.
Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu clapped back at Omanyo for airing out their personal matters in public.
Nyamu claimed that the issue should have been resolved in boardroom meetings. She further chided that ODM had nowhere to go and that it could not walk out of the broad-based government.
Tension between ODM and UDA has been on the rise after whispers of zoning and infiltration of each other's perceived strongholds got louder.
While some leaders in ODM are okay with UDA fielding candidates in ODM-dominated areas, the party Chairperson, Gladys Wanga, has vehemently rejected the proposal.
