KISUMU, 28th January- A faction of Kisumu’s Bunge la Mwananchi has issued a stern call for an immediate truce between East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA)Member Winnie Odinga and prominent businessman and ODM activist Oketch Salah, warning that their public feud is threatening to fracture the already fragile Orange Democratic Movement.
The escalating war of words, primarily fought on social media and television, has raised alarms that internal tensions could destabilise the party further following the demise of Raila Odinga.
Bunge la Mwananchi Secretary, Michael Olweny, appealed directly for calm, emphasising the shared legacy both figures hold.
“I would appeal to Winnie to embrace Salah as one of our own because we saw how close he held Baba Raila Odinga a few months before he passed on,” Olweny stated.
“Sisi ni damu ya Raila and anyone who treated Raila Odinga with the respect he deserves, we will equally reciprocate.”
The plea highlights growing concern that the public spat is diverting focus from the critical task of party cohesion under new leadership.
Evans Ofula, another key member of the group, stressed the need for dignified conflict resolution.
“Let Winnie use respectable approaches to sort out her differences with Salah,” Ofula urged.
He called for a return to the unifying principles of the party’s founder, noting, “We must strive to maintain the peaceful coexistence and unity that Baba Raila Odinga inculcated in us as the ODM family.”
Ofula issued a direct and powerful challenge to the EALA MP, asserting,“We humbly ask the EALA MP Winnie Odinga to tone down and accord other leaders in different spheres the respect they deserve.”
Michael Olweny, Bunge la Mwananchi Secretary, during the presser earlier today. Photo by Elijah Mikwaro
He framed the crisis as existential, linking it directly to the party’s future. “The demise of Raila Odinga has threatened the unity of the Orange Democratic Movement,” Ofula said.
“They should right now focus their efforts on assisting the new Party leader Oburu Oginga to bring the ODM family together again.”
The conflict reached a new peak last night when Winnie Odinga, in a televised interview, suggested that Salah required a psychiatric evaluation or interrogation by DCI for his claims about his relationship with the late Raila Odinga.
As the party navigates its most challenging transition, the grassroots leadership calls for an end to public barbs by leaders who should be focused on unity.
