Orange Democratic Movement

In the 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum, the "no" vote, which the ODM campaigned for, won with 58.12% of Kenyans voting down the proposed constitution. Following this, President Mwai Kibaki dismissed his entire cabinet. The response of the ODM was to say that this was a step in the right direction and to call for an immediate general election, claiming that the Kibaki regime, which had campaigned vigorously in favour of a yes vote in the referendum, had lost its mandate.

Kibaki's government resisted this; elections were not to be held until the last week of Kibaki's five-year constitutionally-mandated tenure. The ODM emerged as a major opposition party, along with KANU, and organized a number of rallies asking for elections and a new constitution. The ODM also protested against the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which opposed the referendum, being dropped from Kibaki's new cabinet.^[7]

After the 2002 elections, KANU was in opposition, while the LDP was a partner in the ruling NARC coalition until it was removed after the 2005 referendum. The LDP had supported no vote at the referendum, contrary to the policy of president Kibaki. Following their united stand in the referendum debate and responding to a threat by the newly formed Narc-Kenya party the leaders of KANU, LDP and some smaller parties decided to campaign jointly for the upcoming 2007 Kenya general election. They forming the Orange Democratic Movement, which was named after the symbol used to represent "no" in the referendum – an orange. An opportunist lawyer, Mugambi Imanyara, registered the name "Orange Democratic Movement" as a party before the coalition did, forcing them to use the name "Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya" instead.^[8]

As 2007 progressed, the coalition proved unstable, with various factions defecting. Uhuru Kenyatta's KANU was the first, pulling out in July 2007 and endorsing President Kibaki's re-election; however, some individual KANU politicians stayed with the ODM. Then, due to an internal rivalry between Kalonzo Musyoka and Raila Odinga, the ODM split into two factions in mid-August 2007.^[9][10] Raila's group, which also included Musalia Mudavadi, William Ruto, Joseph Nyagah and Najib Balala defected from ODM-Kenya and took over the ODM party registered by Mugambi Imanyara, while Kalonzo's group, led by himself and Dr. Julia Ojiambo remained in the original ODM-Kenya.

The two factions held their elections for presidential candidates on consecutive days at the Kasarani sports complex in Nairobi. On 31 August 2007, Kalonzo Musyoka defeated Julia Ojiambo for the ODM–Kenya ticket, then on 1 September Raila Odinga defeated Ruto, Mudavadi, Balala and Nyagah. There were allegations that some delegates voted in the nominations of both parties.

General election

Raila and Kalonzo then faced president Kibaki in the general election. The International Republican Institute described election day as "generally calm, organized, and transparent".^[11] Kibaki was declared winner of the elections in circumstances that were described as "highly questionable" by various observers.^[12] Samuel Kivuitu, chairman of the now disbanded Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) could not explain why votes from nearby constituencies had not reached the tallying centre in Nairobi while those from far-flung parts of the country were tallied on time. According to election observers, both sides participated in ballot stuffing with vote-rigging in a third of all constituencies.^[13] The Independent noted two constitiencies had more votes cast than the number of registered voters. Maragua constituency, a PNU stronghold, announced a turnout of 115% while Raila won one constituency by 100.5%.^[13]

The ODM disputed the results. Violence erupted in the country with ODM supporters in Kibera, Naivasha and Nakuru being targeted for attack by Mungiki-supporting gangs, allegedly backed by police. PNU supporters were also targeted for attack by ODM supporters. People from the Luo ethnic group were shot dead in Kisumu, Kibera and Nakuru in large numbers while many ethnic Kikuyu were killed in the Rift Valley.

The ODM won the largest number of seats with 99 in the 210 seat parliament.^[12] It also won three out of five by-elections in early 2008. No sooner had the by-elections been conducted in the constituencies of two ODM MPs who were killed at the beginning of the year than two more MPs died in an aircraft crash. Some ODM MPs whose elections were contested in court lost their seats.

Following the passing of the Political Parties Act months earlier, the ODM held its internal elections in late December 2008 with Prime Minister Raila Odinga emerging as party leader and Industrialisation Minister Henry Kosgey as party chairman. Due to agitation over regional and gender representation, some party posts had to be created on the day of the vote.^[14] Raila later fell out with William Ruto, Ababu Namwamba, Joseph Nyagah, Najib Balala, and Henry Kosgey among others.

Raila Odinga led the Orange Democratic Movement from 2005 (when it was still called ODM-Kenya),^[15] through 2007; when he received the party certificate, until his death on 15 October 2025. He was formally elected Party Leader in December 2008 and remained in that position through subsequent elections.^[15] On 16 October 2025, Dr Oburu Oginga was appointed acting party leader after the death of Raila.^[16]

Professor Anyang' Nyong'o served as ODM's first Secretary General from 2007 to 2014.^[17] Elections were held on 28 February and 1 March 2014 to elect a new leaders,^[18] where Ababu Namwamba emerged as Secretary General. He served in that capacity from 2014 to his 2016 resignation. Agnes Zani served in an acting capacity for two years; 2016 to 2018.^[19][20]Edwin Sifuna was elected party Secretary General on 23 February 2018, succeeding Ababu Namwamba.^[21]

It currently has two deputy Secretary Generals: Catherine Omanyo^[22] and Doctor Agnes Zani.^[23]

ODM's supreme decision-making body and highest organ (party conference) is the National Delegates Conference (NDC) sometimes referred to as the National Delegates Convention.^[4] It meets annually where it discusses the party's agenda, elects officials, and charts the way forward. ^[24] It has the power to determine overall party policy, elect national officials, amend the party constitution, nominate presidential candidates and make major strategic decisions (like coalitions or leadership changes).