ODM party leader Oburu Odinga
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has refuted claims that the party ferried 6,000 delegates to Nairobi for its recent National Delegates Conference at a cost of KSh 100 million.
In a statement on Sunday, March 29, the ODM Director of Campaigns and Elections, Junet Mohamed, termed the reports as false, baseless, and deliberately misleading.
“Our attention has been drawn to a misleading and sensational headline published by The Standard Group alleging that ODM ferried 6,000 delegates to Nairobi for our National Delegates Conference on Friday, 27 March 2026, at a cost of KSh 100 million, and that delegates received varied payments across different regions.
“We wish to categorically state that these allegations are false, baseless, and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public and diminish the credibility of our party,” read the statement in part.
Junet clarified that the party’s constitution strictly limits the number of accredited delegates to 3,000, noting that any figure above it is illegal.
“It therefore begs the question: where did the figure of 6,000 delegates come from? Such exaggerations are not only inaccurate but point to a reckless disregard for facts by a media house that is increasingly gaining a reputation for publishing propaganda,” Junet stated.
The Suna MP pointed out that ODM’s internal processes, including delegates’ conferences, are conducted within constitutional frameworks and funded through legitimate mechanisms, including member contributions and allocations from the Political Parties Fund.
Junet further criticized what he described as an attempt to reduce a significant national political event into a narrative of regional mobilization and financial impropriety, warning that such reporting risks distorting its identity and political strength.
“We urge our members and the public to remain focused on the substantive outcomes of the National Delegates Conference. The party, in a historic and unanimous decision, ratified Oburu Oginga as Party Leader following the passing of our Founding Leader, Raila Odinga, C.G.H. Further, the conference mandated that the Party Leader initiate the process of coalition-building in preparation for the 2027 General Election,” added Junet.
