NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 1 — ODM Party leader Oburu Odinga has promised a colaition deal in 2026 in the event the party opts to back another presidential candidate in the 2027 General Election.Oburu however clarified that he remains the undisputed choice for 2027 should the party opt to field its own presidential candidate.He made the clarification in a New Year Address to party members amid intensified internal debates following the death of its founding leader, Raila Odinga, in October.Oburu described 2026 as a decisive year for the party, with critical groundwork to be completed ahead of the polls.“2026 is a very crucial year for our party because things must be worked out before 2027. Before the year ends, we shall have made all the necessary arrangements going into 2027,” Oburu said.“Before the year ends, we shall know whether we are entering a coalition with other parties or going it alone,” he added.It has been a year of profound loss for Kenya and ODM in particular when we lost our party leader Raila Amolo Odinga.As ODM we are united to forge ahead and emerge stronger. ODM is a party of Institutions and structures. 2026 is the year the ODM party is going to make serious… pic.twitter.com/Le6W13NkF6— Dr. Oburu Oginga _Odinga (@DrOburu_O) December 31, 2025Undisputed flagbearer Oburu also indicated that if ODM decides to go it alone in the next election, he would serve as the party’s uncontested presidential flagbearer, citing the party constitution which mandates the party leader to carry the ODM flag under such circumstances.His remarks come amid factional tensions within the more than 20-year-old party, which is navigating a leadership transition following Raila’s passing.Recent months have seen ODM split between members advocating cooperation with President William Ruto’s administration and others opposing any alliance with the government.Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna has publicly called for a National Delegates Council (NDC) meeting to ratify any major decision, including whether ODM should partner with President Ruto in the 2027 election.Meanwhile, a rival faction led by party chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, alongside Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, has openly declared support for President Ruto’s re-election bid, pledging to counter internal opposition to that position.Over the weekend, the Wanga-led faction accused retired President Uhuru Kenyatta of using Sifuna to undermine the party’s agenda, a claim Kenyatta has denied.As ODM weighs its options, the coming months are expected to test party unity, with coalition politics and leadership questions set to dominate the party’s 2026 agenda.