Sifuna, Nassir, and Wanga Handed New Posts in ODM
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has unveiled its leadership shake-up as it navigates internal turbulence and prepares for a potential transition of power.
Raila Odinga will remain at the helm of the party, but a series of changes will see new faces stepping into key positions. This reshuffle comes amid growing concerns about regional representation and party unity.
In a move announced by ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna on Friday, August 9, the ODM has named Abdulswamad Nassir, the Mombasa Governor, Simba Arati, the Kisii Governor and Godfrey Osotsi, the Vihiga Senator as the new Deputy Party Leaders. This decision is intended to stabilise the party and address dissatisfaction among members over the distribution of leadership roles.
Gladys Wanga, the Governor of Homa Bay, will now serve as the party Chairperson replacing John Mbadi.
Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo will also serve alongside Turkana South MP John Ariko as Vice Chairperson while Ruth Odinga will take up the position of Deputy Organising Secretary.
The party also proposed Kisumu West MP Rosa Buyu to take up the Secretary for Political Affairs position.
These appointments follow the resignation of several ODM leaders who joined President William Ruto’s Cabinet. Wycliffe Oparanya and Hassan Joho who served as Deputy Party Leaders, Opiyo Wandayi (Majority Leader), and John Mbadi who served as the Chairperson, stepped down from their ODM roles after being appointed to key positions in the government.
This shift had left the party with vacant posts, prompting the recent restructuring.
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The decision to elevate Arati, Osotsi and Nassir as Deputy Party Leaders is part of a broader strategy to ensure continuity and smooth governance within ODM, particularly as Odinga eyes a bid for the African Union Commission Chairperson position in the upcoming election.
ODM’s latest moves also reflect ongoing internal strife. A faction of leaders from the Gusii region expressed their discontent with the current leadership distribution, claiming that their community has been sidelined.
Leaders from the region, including Governor Arati and several MPs, had called for more equitable representation within the party’s leadership structure.
This discontent has been exacerbated by the recent appointments of top ODM figures to government positions, leaving some regional leaders feeling marginalised. The call for a fair distribution of leadership roles is a response to what some view as an imbalance in how power is shared among the party’s diverse regions. leaders feeling marginalized. The call for a fair distribution of leadership roles is a response to what some view as an imbalance in how power is shared among the party’s diverse regions.
Sifuna, Nassir, and Wanga Handed New Posts in ODM
