The intricate dance of coalition politics has taken a dizzying new turn. Just days after assuring Deputy President Kithure Kindiki that he was a "friend not a foe," ODM luminary Oburu Oginga has dramatically hardened his stance, declaring unequivocally that the Orange party is indeed eyeing the country’s second-highest office.

This strategic pivot, delivered with the characteristic bluntness of the Oginga dynasty, has sent shockwaves through the Kenya Kwanza alliance. Speaking in Mombasa, Oburu retracted his earlier conciliatory tone, replacing it with a demand that reflects the raw arithmetic of power sharing. "Ndio tunalinga sana" (Yes, we are targeting it excessively), he asserted, effectively putting the Deputy President’s tenure on notice. The "So What?" is profound: this is no longer a flirtation with cooperation; it is a hostile takeover bid for the heart of the executive, signaling that the broad-based government experiment is entering a volatile new phase.

The Anatomy of a Flip-Flop

Only 48 hours prior, during an event in Kisumu, Oburu had painted a picture of benevolence, suggesting ODM’s interest was purely in "service delivery" and not specific positions. That narrative has now been shredded. The swift reversal suggests intense pressure from the ODM base, which views the Deputy Presidency as the minimum acceptable return for their political capital.

Political insiders interpret this U-turn as a calculated negotiation tactic. By publicly coveting Kindiki’s seat, ODM drives up the price of their support for President Ruto, potentially leveraging the threat to secure more cabinet slots or deeper influence in policy. It exposes the fragility of the current truce, where "friendship" is secondary to interest.

• The Kindiki Dilemma: The Deputy President now finds himself in a precarious position, squeezed between his boss’s new allies and his own Mount Kenya base which views these encroachments with deep suspicion.
• The Luo Nyanza Stake: Oburu emphasized that the party belongs to all Kenyans but noted that their support base expects tangible returns—specifically, the prestige and power of the DP slot.
• The Ruto Factor: The silence from State House is deafening. Is this U-turn a rogue statement, or a script written with the tacit approval of a President looking to reshuffle his deck?

A Coalition on the Edge

The language used—"Tunalinga"—is aggressive, possessive, and unapologetic. It strips away the veneer of diplomacy. Oburu is effectively telling the nation that the current arrangement is transitional and that ODM views itself as the rightful occupant of the deputy throne.

As the dust settles on this latest pronouncement, the political temperature in the country has risen. The handshake, once seen as a tool for stability, is morphing into a tool for displacement. For Kithure Kindiki, the message is clear: watch your back, for the "friends" at the gate have decided they like your chair better than you do.