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Orange Democratic Movement | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | ODM |
| Leader | Oburu Odinga (interim) |
| Chairperson | Gladys Wanga |
| Secretary-General | Edwin Sifuna |
| Presidium | National Executive Committee of the Orange Democratic Movement |
| Spokesperson | Philip Etale |
| Treasurer-General | Timothy Bosire |
| Founder | Raila Odinga |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Nairobi,Kenya |
| Newspaper | Chungwa |
| Think tank | ODM THINK TANKS |
| Youth wing | ODM Youth League (OYL) |
| Women Wing | ODM Women League (OWL) |
| Veterans Wing | ODM Veterans League (OVL) |
| Parents Wing | ODM Parent's League (OPL) |
| Students Wing | ODM Student's League (OSL) |
| Ideology | Social democracy[1] Civic nationalism Social liberalism Populism[2] |
| Political position | Centre-left |
| National affiliation | Azimio La Umoja |
| International affiliation | Liberal International[3] |
| African affiliation | Africa Liberal Network |
| Colours | Orange White Blue |
| Slogan | Chungwa Moja, Maisha Bora! One Orange, Better Life! |
| National Assembly | 85 / 349 |
| Senate | 12 / 67 |
| EALA | 5 / 9 |
| Pan-African Parliament | 2 / 5 |
| Governors | 16 / 47 |
| Members of County Assemblies | 578 / 1,450 |
| Website | |
| www | |
TheOrange Democratic Movement (ODM) is acentre-left political party in Kenya.[4] It is the successor of a grassroots people's movement that was formed during the2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum campaign. This movement separated in August 2007 into theOrange Democratic Movement Party of Kenya and theWiper Democratic Movement – Kenya (formerly the Orange Democratic Movement – Kenya, known as ODM–Kenya).
The name "orange" originates from the ballot cards in the referendum, in which the banana represented a "yes" vote, and the orange represented a "no" vote. Thus, the parties demonstrates that it supported a no vote in the 2005 referendum. The original linchpins of the ODM wereUhuru Kenyatta'sKANU party and the lateRaila Odinga'sLDP. While Kenyatta left KANU, Odinga remained and led ODM until his death in 2025. The party tends to be more popular among the KenyanLuo people.[5]
In the 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum, the "no" vote, which the ODM campaigned for, won with 58.12% of Kenyans voting down the proposed constitution. Following this, PresidentMwai Kibaki dismissed his entire cabinet. The response of the ODM was to say that this was a step in the right direction and to call for an immediate general election, claiming that the Kibaki regime, which had campaigned vigorously in favour of a yes vote in the referendum, had lost its mandate.
Kibaki's government resisted this; elections were not to be held until the last week of Kibaki's five-year constitutionally-mandated tenure. The ODM emerged as a major opposition party, along withKANU, and organized a number of rallies asking for elections and a new constitution. The ODM also protested against theLiberal Democratic Party (LDP), which opposed the referendum, being dropped from Kibaki's new cabinet.[6]
After the 2002 elections, KANU was in opposition, while the LDP was a partner in the ruling NARC coalition until it was removed after the 2005 referendum. The LDP had supported no vote at the referendum, contrary to the policy of president Kibaki. Following their united stand in the referendum debate and responding to a threat by the newly formedNarc-Kenya party the leaders of KANU, LDP and some smaller parties decided to campaign jointly for the upcoming2007 Kenya general election. They forming the Orange Democratic Movement, which was named after the symbol used to represent "no" in the referendum – an orange. An opportunist lawyer,Mugambi Imanyara, registered the name "Orange Democratic Movement" as a party before the coalition did, forcing them to use the name "Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya" instead.[7]
As 2007 progressed, the coalition proved unstable, with various factions defecting.Uhuru Kenyatta's KANU was the first, pulling out in July 2007 and endorsing President Kibaki's re-election; however, some individual KANU politicians stayed with the ODM. Then, due to an internal rivalry betweenKalonzo Musyoka andRaila Odinga, the ODM split into two factions in mid-August 2007.[8][9] Raila's group, which also includedMusalia Mudavadi,William Ruto,Joseph Nyagah andNajib Balala defected from ODM-Kenya and took over the ODM party registered by Mugambi Imanyara, while Kalonzo's group, led by himself and Dr. Julia Ojiambo remained in the original ODM-Kenya.
The two factions held their elections for presidential candidates on consecutive days at theKasarani sports complex in Nairobi. On 31 August 2007, Kalonzo Musyoka defeated Julia Ojiambo for the ODM–Kenya ticket, then on 1 September Raila Odinga defeated Ruto, Mudavadi, Balala and Nyagah. There were allegations that some delegates voted in the nominations of both parties.
Raila and Kalonzo then faced president Kibaki in the general election. TheInternational Republican Institute described election day as "generally calm, organized, and transparent".[10] Kibaki was declared winner of the elections in circumstances that were described as "highly questionable" by various observers.[11]Samuel Kivuitu, chairman of the now disbandedElectoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) could not explain why votes from nearby constituencies had not reached the tallying centre in Nairobi while those from far-flung parts of the country were tallied on time. Many polling stations had more votes cast than the number of registered voters. Maragua constituency, a PNU stronghold, turnout was 115%.[12]
The ODM disputed the results. Violence erupted in the country with ODM supporters in Kibera, Naivasha and Nakuru being targeted for attack by Mungiki-supporting gangs, allegedly backed by police. PNU supporters were also targeted for attack by ODM supporters. People from the Luo ethnic group were shot dead inKisumu,Kibera andNakuru in large numbers while many ethnic Kikuyu were killed in the Rift Valley.
The ODM won the largest number of seats with 99 in the 210 seat parliament.[11] It also won three out of five by-elections in early 2008. No sooner had the by-elections been conducted in the constituencies of two ODM MPs who were killed at the beginning of the year than two more MPs died in an aircraft crash. Some ODM MPs whose elections were contested in court lost their seats.
Following the passing of the Political Parties Act months earlier, the ODM held its internal elections in late December 2008 with Prime MinisterRaila Odinga emerging as party leader and Industrialisation MinisterHenry Kosgey as party chairman. Due to agitation over regional and gender representation, some party posts had to be created on the day of the vote.[13] Raila later fell out withWilliam Ruto,Ababu Namwamba,Joseph Nyagah,Najib Balala, andHenry Kosgey among others.
Raila Odinga led the Orange Democratic Movement from 2005,[14] through 2007; when he received the party certificate, until his death on October 15, 2025. He was formally elected Party Leader in December 2008 and remained in that position through subsequent elections.[14] On 16 October 2025, Dr Oburu Oginga was appointed acting party leader.[15]
Edwin Sifuna was elected party Secretary General on 23 February 2018, succeedingAbabu Namwamba.[16] He was removed from the post on 11 February 2026 in absentia during a National Delegates Convention (NDC) meeting inMombasa after he criticised the government's economic policies, like the "Nyota Fund" and due to his perceived role as leader of a "rebel wing".[17][18] Deputy Secretary General, Ms Catherine Omanyo, was picked as acting Secretary General until a new holder could be elected.[18][17] Earlier, his perceived allies, senatorJohnes Mwaruma, Member of Parliament Caleb Amisi and Kipkorir Arap Menjo were removed from the NDC in accordance with party rules.[17][19] A day after his removal, the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal (PPDT) gave him temporary reprieve and barred ODM from executing his removal and the Registrar of Political Parties from publishing it in theKenya Gazette.[20] The court additionally set a 26 February hearing.[21]
In the lead up to the 2013 general elections, the ODM entered a coalition withFORD-Kenya and theWiper Democratic Movement to support a single presidential candidate, known as theCoalition for Reforms and Democracy.[22]
| Election | Party candidate | Running mate | Votes | % | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Raila Odinga | 4,352,993 | 44.1% | Lost N | |
| 2013 | Kalonzo Musyoka | 5,340,546 | 43.7% | LostN | |
| 2017 | 6,822,812 | 44.9% | AnnulledN | ||
| Oct 2017 | 73,228 | 1.0% | LostN | ||
| 2022 | Martha Karua | 6,942,930 | 48.85% | LostN |
| Election | Party leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Raila Odinga | 2,973,415 | 30.83% | 99 / 210 |  99 | 1st | |
| 2013 | Constituency | 2,608,898 | 21.39% | 96 / 349 |  3 |  1st | |
| County | 2,776,214 | 22.94% | |||||
| 2017 | Constituency | 2,884,267 | 19.23% | 76 / 340 | 20 | 2nd | |
| County | 3,649,509 | 24.06% | |||||
| Election | Party leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Raila Odinga | 2,669,514 | 22.01% | 17 / 67 | 17 | 2nd |
| 2017 | 3,603,167 | 23.84% | 20 / 67 | 2 | 2nd |
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