Why Simba Arati is the Party Leader ODM Needs Now
Election
Originally published by Kahawatungu — Read the original article →
Party activity
The Orange Democratic Movement is not facing a leadership contest. It is facing an existential question: does it want to survive as a political party, or does it want to become a permanent annex of the government it once opposed?
ODM has already made a historic decision. The party will not field a presidential candidate in 2027 and will instead back President William Ruto’s re-election bid. As one analysis put it, “Oburu Oginga’s ODM has made a historic gamble: The party will not field a presidential candidate in 2027 and will instead back Ruto’s re-election”. Party chairperson Gladys Wanga has confirmed this explicitly, saying ODM will support Ruto’s re-election bid if it secures the Deputy President position under a pre-election agreement. Arati himself has declared that the party would not accept anything less than a strict 50-50 arrangement and that the Deputy President slot is non-negotiable.
Whether one agrees with that strategy or not, it is now the party’s official position. The real question, therefore, is not who will be ODM’s presidential candidate—there won’t be one. The question is: who will lead ODM through this period of transition and position it to emerge as a strong, independent force after 2027?
