Is ODM Losing Grip? Caleb Amisi’s Exit Signals Bigger Political Storm
Saboti MP Caleb Amisi looks to be going the whole hog and forging a brand new path – one that might signal the end of his many years association with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). Two successful election runs under the party banner are now coming to an end with Amisi having made it official and registered a new outfit – a move that has been brewing quietly in the background for months.
Amisi has put out there the People’s Renaissance Movement, a new political party which he claims will be the vehicle for his future political ambitions. Although he hasn’t exactly said when he plans to formally leave the ODM theres little doubt now that he’s taking a step out in a direction away from them.
A Shift Years in the Making
Amisi got his seat in Parliament back in 2017 under ODM and then hung on to it for a second time in 2022. For a good while he was seen as one of the party’s diehards being ODM’s Deputy National Organising Secretary was one of his roles. Just this year he got elected as ODM Chairman in Trans Nzoia; but then things have got increasingly bad for the party – deep divisions have opened up, and Amisi has found himself on the opposite side of all the key decisions more and more.
He has now found himself aligning with a faction that’s against the idea of a big broad-based government which as a bonus also is against President William Ruto running for re-election in 2027.
New Party New Message
The Peoples Renaissance Movement has finally jumped the last of the legal hurdles. After a good deal of red tape, the Office of the Registry of Political Parties (ORPP) gave the thumbs up – the party had ticked every box: got its people signed up all over the country, set up proper offices and got its governing documents in order.
During the whole certification process, Registrar John Lorionokou handed over the official registration documents to the interim party officials and the folks who support them. The certificate – issued on April 13th – officially brings them into the Kenyan political mix.
For the party leaders, that moment is more than just a triumph of the bureaucracy, – it marks the start of something really big – a push towards what they see as economic freedom.
The little detail that caught some people’s eye is the symbol – a blue hummingbird ( its all a bit rich, but the party says it reflects resilience & adaptability) .
What “Renaissance” Really Means to Them
So why “renaissance”? The party officials say the name was chosen very deliberately. It takes the idea of renewal, innovation and transformation that you see in European history and gives it a Kenyan twist.
For Amisi & his team – the idea is basically a fresh start for Kenya – a reboot of the political, social and economic system.
They say this new party is built around proper structures and rules (not just personalities) making it a smart alternative to what they see as politics being driven by individual egos.
BUT – not everyone sees it that way – a lot of the experts – and even some party insiders – are convinced this is just a clever way for Amisi to quietly slip the leash from ODM – and start to attract a few more disgruntled voices in the next few months.
A Direct Challenge to the Status Quo
Amisi is right in the thick of it with the Linda Mwananchi faction, a bunch of folks who have been loudly speaking out against ODM’s willingness to work with President Ruto ahead of the next election. And if you want to get a sense of Amisi’s vibe, he’s been pretty consistent in his message – talking about the need for a “real change” to fix what he sees as chronic problems in the way the country is being run.
He reckons that Ruto’s administration has pretty much botched the country’s progress in all the important areas, and he’s calling for a complete overhaul of the political landscape in next year’s elections.
The question though is – what’s Amisi actually going to do next? He hasn’t said if he’s going to stick around and defend his Saboti seat or go for something a bit different.
ODM Pushes Back Against Internal Dissent
And even as Amisi’s move grabs everyone’s attention, there’s another story bubbling up inside ODM.
Meanwhile the party has made it plain it’s not going to baby ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna and his crew, after a bunch of disagreements started to emerge.
In a waspish radio interview recently, party leader Oburu Oginga didn’t hold back, having a go at Sifuna for constantly going against the party’s decisions and failing to keep in line with the party’s plans.
Now Oburu acknowledges that Sifuna is still the secretary general, but said he can’t just go off and do his own thing whenever he likes. He also said he gets invited to key meetings – but more often than not Sifuna doesn’t turn up and the rest of the party carries on regardless.
And to top it all off, Oburu accused Sifuna of running his own show outside the party structure.
The message from ODM’s leadership is pretty clear – Sifuna is free to stay or go, but they’re not going to let internal squabbles disrupt the party.
Oburu also had a bit of a pop at senator Sifuna for holding onto his position while openly clashing with the party, labelling his behaviour a bit too loose to describe. He was cautioning that Sifuna needs to tread carefully, saying his clout may be fleeting.
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Is ODM Losing Grip? Caleb Amisi’s Exit Signals Bigger Political Storm
