The Orange Democratic Movement has moved to sever ties with the flamboyant businessman Oketch Salah, exposing a vicious power struggle for the soul of the opposition party in the wake of Raila Odinga’s exit.

The Orange Democratic Movement has publicly disowned businessman Oketch Salah, declaring him a persona non grata in a move that has ripped the veil off the simmering succession wars consuming the party. The rebuke was swift, brutal, and designed to humiliate a man who has spent months positioning himself as the heir apparent to the party’s saintly legacy.

This is not just a distancing; it is a purge. By cutting loose a man who claims to be the "adopted son" and final confidant of the late party leader Raila Odinga, the current leadership is drawing a line in the sand. The statement, issued by Chairperson Gladys Wanga, signals a desperate attempt to consolidate authority as rival factions—led by Secretary General Edwin Sifuna and the "old guard"—battle for control of the party's machinery and its future. Salah’s rise from obscurity to the high table of opposition politics has been nothing short of meteoric, fueled by deep pockets and whispers of a deathbed endorsement that the party hierarchy now vehemently denies.

The Imposter in the Palace

Gladys Wanga did not mince her words. In a press briefing that felt more like an excommunication, she clarified that Salah "is not an official, a member, or a spokesperson" of the movement. This comes days after Salah began making authoritative declarations regarding the party's direction, citing private conversations he allegedly held with Odinga during his final days on earth. "There is no vacuum in ODM," Wanga asserted, a statement that rang hollow to observers witnessing the open warfare between the Sifuna faction and the emerging splinter groups.

Salah, a polished businessman with a flair for the dramatic, has rattled the cages of the established elite. His accusations that Sifuna is a "mole" working for the government have sown distrust within the National Executive Council. By casting himself as the protector of the "original" ideology against internal traitors, Salah has tapped into the grassroots' anxiety, making him a dangerous variable that the party establishment felt compelled to eliminate publicly.

A Party at War with Itself

The "Salah Problem" is merely a symptom of a deeper malaise. Since the departure of the Enigma, ODM has struggled to find a center of gravity. The vacuum left by a figure of Odinga's stature was never going to be filled easily, but the ferocity of the infighting has caught many off guard. The party is currently split between those who wish to maintain the status quo and those, like Salah, who argue that a radical reset is needed to survive in the new political landscape.

• The Sifuna Factor: The Secretary General remains the target of coordinated attacks, with his detractors claiming his combative style is alienating potential allies.
• The Heritage Wing: Led by figures like Oburu Oginga, this faction is fighting to keep the party within the traditional sphere of influence, a move Salah has criticized as "dynastic gatekeeping."

"The party is not a personal property," Wanga warned, aiming her fire at Salah but perhaps inadvertently describing the very crisis gripping the movement. As the dust settles on this public spat, the question remains: without the glue of the Enigma, can ODM hold together, or is this the beginning of the end?