Ruth Odinga Explodes at Mbadi Over ‘Odinga Family’ Remarks as ODM Civil War Deepens
A fresh political storm has erupted inside the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) after Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga launched a fierce attack on Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi over controversial remarks touching on the Odinga family’s influence within the party.
The dramatic fallout comes amid growing divisions inside ODM, with rival camps battling for control of the party’s future following the political absence of veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga.
In a strongly worded statement shared on her social media pages on Sunday, May 10, Ruth Odinga accused Mbadi of attempting to “demonise” the Odinga family and erase its historic contribution to ODM and Kenya’s democratic struggle.
The veteran legislator was responding to comments Mbadi allegedly made during a recent ODM officials’ retreat in Mombasa, where he insisted that the party was not a personal property of the Odinga family.
Addressing party officials at the retreat, Mbadi appeared to single out Ruth Odinga while warning against what he termed “family entitlement” within the party ranks.
“It does not belong to a family. You know we have a party where someone, because she is the sister to the party leader, thinks she can order us around — you cannot,” Mbadi reportedly stated.
The Treasury CS further defended long-serving ODM loyalists, arguing that many leaders had sacrificed politically to build the party alongside Raila Odinga.
“We also fought for Raila. If you’re Raila’s sister please respect us. If it was not for us, Raila would not have become the person he was,” Mbadi added.
The remarks immediately triggered outrage from Ruth Odinga, who interpreted them as a direct and calculated attack against her.
In her rebuttal, the Kisumu Woman Representative said she was the only member of the Odinga family present at the retreat, making it clear that Mbadi’s remarks were personally directed at her.
“I say this was a personal attack because I looked around and I was the only Odinga in the room. My brother, the Party Leader Dr. Oburu Oginga, did not attend the three-day retreat,” she stated.
Ruth Odinga also took issue with sentiments allegedly suggesting that Raila Odinga’s political influence had diminished and that ODM’s survival was not tied to his legacy.
She defended her late brother’s contribution to Kenya’s political transformation, insisting that ODM was born out of Raila’s nationwide support and democratic struggle.
“It is not the ODM Party that made Raila Odinga. It is the people of Kenya who made him who he was in life, and even in death, because of what he stood for, and out of that, he and others made the ODM party,” she added.
The bitter exchange now lays bare the widening cracks within ODM as internal succession battles intensify.
The party has in recent months been rocked by factional wars between the “Linda Ground” and “Linda Mwananchi” camps, each fighting to shape ODM’s direction ahead of the 2027 political landscape.
Some leaders, including Ruth Odinga, have meanwhile been accused by rivals of remaining neutral or “sitting on the fence” as pressure mounts on senior party figures to openly declare loyalty to either faction.
Political analysts warn that the escalating public infighting could weaken ODM’s unity at a critical moment when the party is attempting to redefine itself amid shifting alliances and succession politics.
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