Narok Senator Ledama Olekina has moved to douse the flames of discord consuming the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), dismissing reports of a party split as "dead wrong." In a fiery defense mounted on social media, the Senate Minority Whip insisted the party is merely in "survival mode"—but his words do little to mask the deepening fissures within Kenya’s grand old opposition party.

The denial comes hot on the heels of explosive outbursts from the party’s "Young Turks," specifically ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino. The duo has openly accused the party hierarchy of "betrayal" and "blackmail," signaling a generational warfare that threatens to tear the orange outfit apart from the inside.

The Young Turks vs. The Old Guard

The friction stems from the perceived marginalization of the party’s youthful firebrands in favor of the old guard and new political expediencies (read: the deal with President Ruto). Babu Owino’s cryptic tweet, "Tomorrow is another day," was widely interpreted as a threat to walk away. Ledama’s intervention is a calculated attempt to keep the tent from collapsing.

• The "Survival" Strategy: "We are united, strong, and focused," Ledama claimed, framing the internal noise as healthy democratic competition. However, analysts argue that "survival mode" is a tacit admission that the party is struggling to define its identity in the post-Raila presidency era.
• The Nairobi Factor: Ledama urged Sifuna and Owino to "play smart" in Nairobi politics. The capital is a crucial battleground, and a divided ODM risks handing the city’s governance to the UDA machine on a silver platter.

Raila’s Silence

Conspicuously absent from the public spat is the party leader, Raila Odinga. His silence is deafening. Is he letting the kids fight it out to see who emerges strongest, or has he lost control of the movement he built? With the 2027 election cycle already revving up, ODM cannot afford a civil war.

Ledama may call it survival, but to the observer, it looks a lot like a slow-motion implosion. If the center cannot hold, the Orange Democratic Movement risks becoming a historical footnote in the next general election.