Interim ODM party leader Oburu Oginga has moved with speed to forestall a potential schism, bringing on board party rebels and a restive youth league that has grown impatient in the last few months.

In what insiders see as a strategic reset for Kenya’s largest opposition outfit, the Siaya Senator has in recent weeks embarked on a series of behind-the-scenes engagements with youthful and senior figures alike, aiming to project an image of inclusivity and stability at a time of visible internal jostling.

ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna has been leading a youth movement dubbed Kenya Moja, bringing together not only a section of ODM youthful leaders but also members from other parties including President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

The leaders include MPs Babu Owino (Embakasi East), Caleb Amisi (Saboti), Anthony Kibagendi (Kitutu Chache South) all from ODM, and Githunguri legislator Gathoni wa Muchomba (UDA), among others.

The team is positioning itself as the country’s potential Third Force—distinct from the broad-based framework and the united opposition camp steered by former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka. The team says its mission is to champion the welfare of Kenyan youth and other vulnerable groups.

In a bid seen as a move to recast the 2027 election as a generational contest, they have promised to turn around Kenya’s entrenched political order and usher in what they call a “generational change” in leadership.

But Dr Oginga has been reaching out to members of the team, particularly from the ODM party, in a bid to whip them back to the Orange Party main fold.

“I have held a