- DCP deputy leader Cleophas Malala revealed that the United Opposition had opened talks with the family of the late Raila Odinga
- Malala cited Winnie Odinga's Senate bid on Edwin Sifuna's side and Rigathi Gachagua's invitation to Raila's museum as signs the family was distancing itself from the government
- His remarks came amid rising tensions within ODM after several senior party figures skipped the first anniversary event for Raila
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Nancy Odindo is a current affairs writer at Tuko.co.ke (joined in 2023). She has one year of experience in print and more than five years in digital media.
Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) deputy leader Cleophas Malala has publicly claimed that the United Opposition is engaged in active discussions with the family of the late former ODM leader Raila Odinga, suggesting the family is gradually moving away from the government side.
Source: Facebook
Malala made the remarks on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at St. Andrews ACK Church in Imbali, South Butsotso, Lurambi.
What did Cleophas Malala say?
Speaking before an enthusiastic crowd, Malala said the Odinga family had been taking time to grieve before making any political moves, but signals of a shift were already visible.
"I would like to assure Kenyans that the United Opposition has started talks with the family of Raila Odinga. And they are agreeing. They are beginning to move. They were waiting a little while for Baba to rest and get settled in heaven. Once he is settled, they will join the opposition," Malala said.
He pointed to two specific developments as evidence of the family's changing political direction: the invitation extended to former deputy president and DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua to visit Raila's museum and Winnie Odinga's announced Senate bid for Nairobi allegedly under the Linda Mwananchi Movement leader, led by the incumbent Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna, who is aligned with the opposition.
"The Raila Odinga family has already received the signal. You even saw that they invited Gachagua to Raila's museum. It means the Raila family has started moving away from the government and is coming to the side of the opposition. They have seen that that fellow is bad," Malala told the gathering.
He sought the crowd's endorsement for the proposed alliance, asking attendees whether they supported the United Opposition uniting with the Odinga family, to which they responded affirmatively.
ODM tensions provide the backdrop
Malala's statements arrive at a particularly sensitive moment for ODM, which is currently part of a broad-based arrangement with President William Ruto's UDA administration.
Tensions within ODM escalated around the first anniversary commemoration of Raila Odinga, during which several senior party figures, including party chairperson Gladys Wanga, deputy party leader Abdulswamad Nassir, Cabinet Secretaries John Mbadi and Hassan Joho, and MPs Junet Mohamed and Peter Kaluma, were absent.
The officials reportedly travelled to Dubai instead after learning that opposition leaders had been invited to attend.
In their absence, the Linda Mwananchi team addressed the crowd, which responded with chants of "Ruto must go," underlining the visible rift between different factions within and around the Odinga political orbit.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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