Lawyer Paul Mwangi has revealed what he describes as a strategic political plan by the late Raila Odinga, claiming that Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna was positioned as a fallback option during Raila’s cooperation with President William Ruto.
Speaking in a radio interview on March 28, 2026, Mwangi said Raila carefully designed his political moves to avoid being trapped in a single alliance.
According to him, the former Prime Minister maintained different factions within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) as part of a broader survival strategy.
“When Raila started working with Ruto, he had an exit strategy… the people who were opposing that cooperation, that is Sifuna’s side,” Mwangi said.
He explained that having a dissenting faction within ODM gave Raila leverage, allowing him to shift direction if the political arrangement failed.
Mwangi described this approach as a calculated move to maintain influence and bargaining power.
“If things were not going to work out, he would have turned to his militant side and rallied them back,” he added.
Mwangi further argued that Raila’s long-standing strategy of managing internal factions helped him navigate complex political coalitions over the years.
However, he noted that the current tensions within ODM may be linked to the absence of Raila’s leadership following his death.
“The problem now is that he passed on before bringing everyone together,” Mwangi said.
The remarks come at a time when ODM is facing internal divisions, with different factions aligning themselves around key leaders.
Oburu Odinga has since been ratified as the party leader, while Sifuna has publicly expressed reservations about serving under the new leadership.
Mwangi’s comments are likely to fuel further debate on ODM’s internal dynamics and the future direction of the party as it navigates a shifting political landscape.
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Politics