Chaos Erupts in Broad-Based Coalition as ODM Leaders Boycott Ruto’s State House Meeting
A planned State House meeting convened by President William Ruto descended into political tension after top ODM officials skipped the event, leaving party leader Oburu Oginga as the sole senior representative from the opposition outfit.
President Ruto on Tuesday hosted newly elected broad-based Members of Parliament as part of what State House described as a consultative engagement. However, the meeting was overshadowed by a conspicuous boycott from senior ODM figures, who opted instead to gather at the party’s Chungwa House headquarters in Nairobi.
According to sources close to ODM, the top brass snubbed the presidential invitation amid concerns over internal party protocol and what they termed an “overreach” by State House into opposition affairs. ODM insiders told the publication that senior officials viewed the invitation process as a breach of party procedure.
Executive Director Oduor Ong’wen, Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna and deputy party leaders Godfrey Osotsi, Simba Arati and Abdulswamad Nassir were all present earlier at the party’s morning strategy meeting at Chungwa House but did not accompany Oburu to State House. ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga was also absent, with officials describing the sequence of events as “a procedural insult”.
Only three newly elected ODM MPs — Boyd Were (Kasipul), Moses Omondi (Ugenya) and Harry Kombe (Magarini) — stood beside Oburu during the State House photo session, where the President welcomed them alongside legislators from the ruling UDA party.
An ODM official who attended the Chungwa House meeting claimed that the friction stemmed from the way the invitations were issued.
“State House reached out to the new MPs directly, without informing party leadership. It is only after the lawmakers alerted Oburu that a formal invitation was sent. That is not how inter-party communication is supposed to work,” the official said.
The boycott has sparked fresh questions over the state of relations between President Ruto’s administration and the ODM leadership at a time when the broader coalition is navigating heightened internal disagreements.
ODM has not yet issued a formal public statement on the boycott, but party insiders insist the protest was meant to highlight respect for party hierarchy and established political processes. Meanwhile, State House has not commented on the matter.
The incident marks the latest flashpoint in Kenya’s evolving political landscape, underscoring lingering tensions within the broad-based coalition and between the opposition and the executive.
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Chaos Erupts in Broad-Based Coalition as ODM Leaders Boycott Ruto’s State House Meeting