ODM Tensions Boil Over as Alai’s ‘Insensitive’ Attack on Winnie Odinga Draws Outrage
A heated confrontation erupted within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) on Saturday after Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo publicly reprimanded Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai for his controversial remarks targeting Winnie Odinga, the daughter of the late Raila Odinga.
Odhiambo delivered a strongly worded warning to Alai during the ODM at 20 celebrations in Mombasa, where she accused the first-time MCA of habitually attacking women and showing disrespect toward members of the Odinga family.
“Before I finish, I would like to warn the person who attacked Winnie Odinga,” Odhiambo declared to party members. “I am a defender of women, and I want to say this: Alai, you like harassing women, but where Millie is, we will deal with you head-on.”
Her remarks came shortly after Alai stirred outrage by questioning Winnie Odinga’s political credentials and her influence within the party. The Kileleshwa MCA had criticised senior ODM officials for allowing Winnie to “lecture” them, suggesting she lacked the standing to address long-serving party figures.
Odhiambo dismissed his comments as not only disrespectful but also culturally insensitive, noting that Winnie is still in mourning following the death of her father, ODM leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
“It is exactly one month since Winnie lost her dad. It is uncouth and uncultured to attack her,” the MP said in a later response shared on Facebook. She went further, describing Winnie as “the heart of Baba,” signalling her importance within the Odinga family and the broader ODM movement.
The confrontation soon spilled over onto social media, where Alai appeared to double down by linking unnamed ODM figures to Winnie’s earlier allegations that some leaders were secretly plotting to “sell the party.” Odhiambo, however, dismissed the insinuations and renewed her accusation that Alai has a pattern of targeting female leaders.
“Robert Alai, you are used to attacking women and getting away with it,” she wrote. “Winnie did not attack Governor Gladys Wanga. You are, in fact, implicitly attacking Wanga… Bring it on. I am waiting.”
The dispute unfolded as ODM marked 20 years since its founding—an event meant to project unity but which increasingly exposed underlying fractures. Internal tensions have been simmering in recent months, exacerbated by leadership changes and questions over the party’s future direction following Raila Odinga’s retirement from active politics.
In a separate but related incident, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino appeared to voice dissatisfaction over the party’s new top leadership structure, questioning why he had been overlooked in recent appointments. His comments added to a growing perception that ODM is grappling with internal reshuffling and competing ambitions among its rising figures.
The party’s anniversary celebrations—meant to honour two decades of its political legacy—have instead highlighted the challenges facing ODM as it navigates a post-Raila era, with public spats among senior and junior leaders signalling further turbulence ahead.
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ODM Tensions Boil Over as Alai’s ‘Insensitive’ Attack on Winnie Odinga Draws Outrage