Dennis Onyango, a close aide to the late former Prime Minister and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga, has clarified that Raila did not have a preferred successor, a statement that comes as divisions within the party deepen.
Onyango spoke during an interview with TV47 on Tuesday, February 17, amid growing concerns over ODM’s leadership and the emergence of competing factions.
“Raila Odinga had no preferred successor; he left it open, and he thought a leader would emerge, but the same Raila Odinga set up party institutions of the party, and he believed in those institutions,” Onyango said.
He explained that Raila envisioned a leadership transition guided by party structures rather than personal endorsements.
According to Onyango, Raila wanted leaders to rise through the mechanisms he established, ensuring a fair and democratic process that would reflect the collective will of party members.
“He assumed that a leader should emerge from the people; that since nobody held his hand, and maybe he thought it would be a disservice to his supporters to hold somebody’s hand, he wanted a situation where leaders with the help of institutions would emerge to lead his people,” Onyango added.
The clarification comes as ODM experiences internal disagreements, with different factions staking claims over the party’s future direction.
Some party members have expressed concern that without a clear successor, leadership contests could deepen divisions, while others argue that Raila intentionally avoided endorsing anyone to preserve internal democracy.
By leaving succession open, Raila sought to ensure that future leaders are tested through established party organs such as the National Executive Council and Central Committee, rather than relying on personal loyalty or favoritism.
ODM members now face the challenge of uniting behind a leadership process that respects Raila’s vision while managing competing interests within the party.
Onyango emphasized that Raila’s approach highlights the importance of institutional strength and collective decision-making, values that have defined ODM’s structure over the years.
With Kenya’s political landscape evolving and ODM preparing for upcoming electoral contests, Onyango’s remarks offer clarity on the late leader’s intentions, reassuring supporters that the party’s succession will follow established procedures, not personal preferences.