ODM announces NDC in March to chart 2027 election strategy

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) will convene a National Delegates Convention (NDC) in Nairobi on March 27, 2026, as the party moves to chart its political strategy ahead of the next General Election.

The decision was reached during a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held Wednesday in Mombasa and chaired by party leader Dr. Oburu Oginga.

In a statement, the NEC said the convention will deliberate on the party’s strategic direction, ratify key decisions made by party organs and prepare ODM for upcoming political contests.

“The NEC resolved to convene a National Delegates Convention (NDC) in Nairobi on 27th March 2026. The NDC shall, among other agenda items, deliberate on the Party's strategic direction, ratify key decisions of the Party organs, and prepare ODM for the forthcoming General Election,” read a statement from the pary after the meeting.

The planned convention comes amid sustained pressure from a section of leaders within the party who had been pushing for the immediate calling of the NDC to address leadership, governance and coalition issues.

The group, perceived as a rebel faction, includes now ousted Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Winnie Odinga, who in recent weeks publicly called for the delegates’ meeting to resolve internal disagreements and clarify the party’s future course.

Winnie Odinga recently raised sharp concerns over how ODM leadership transition was handled following the death of longtime party leader Raila Odinga, accusing sections of the political outfit of sidelining members, flouting its constitution, and conducting critical decisions behind closed doors.

Speaking on Citizen TV’s 'The Explainer' show on January 27, 2026, Winnie said the party failed to openly communicate with its membership at a sensitive time, instead allowing what she described as a small clique to dictate the party’s direction without consultation.

“The party has not fulfilled its mandate in an open manner. Our party leader died, the party has not once come and addressed us as members to inform us our party leader has died. They’ve picked a new team; the party has not once come to tell us they’ve picked a new team,” she said then.

Winnie insisted that ODM’s governing structures - including the NEC and the Central Committee - cannot lawfully act on behalf of the party without ratification by the NDC.

“The Constitution of ODM says that no member of the Central Committee or the NEC is able to act on behalf of the party of ODM unless they’re ratified by the NDC,” she said, adding that current office holders were “misrepresenting themselves” at a time when the party should have been providing direction to members.

The ODM NEC’s Wednesday’s meeting, however, also delivered sweeping changes within the party’s leadership.

The NEC resolved to remove Sifuna from his position as Secretary General with immediate effect, citing concerns over discipline at the senior leadership level and the need to uphold the party constitution and collective decision-making.

ODM Deputy Secretary General and Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo was appointed to act in the position until a substantive office holder is elected.

The committee further adopted resolutions of the party’s Central Committee, formally mandating Oburu to oversee negotiations on ODM’s pre-election coalition arrangements with other political parties and formations.

At the same time, the NEC resolved to initiate the formal process of withdrawing from the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition, citing what it described as sustained breaches of the coalition’s founding agreement by some partners.

The resolutions signal a period of internal reorganisation for the party as it prepares for the delegates’ convention and a broader political realignment ahead of the 2027 polls.