Tana River County ODM supporters led by party County chairman Oscar Kaseme explaining to journalists on Friday, November 14, 2025 in Hola town why they will not join other supporters in Mombasa to celebrate the Party’s 20th anniversary. They welcomed the National Governing Council (NGC) appointment of Oburu Oginga as party leader. Photo by Ben Okweingoti 
By Ben Okweingoti
A section of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) supporters in Tana River County has announced that they will not join the party’s 20th anniversary celebrations scheduled to take place in Mombasa this weekend, citing growing internal supremacy battles and alleged marginalization within the coastal party leadership.
Speaking in Hola town, ODM County Chairman Oscar Kaseme accused the Mombasa-based regional leadership of sidelining members from the six coastal counties — Tana River, Kilifi, Kwale, Taita Taveta, Lamu, and Mombasa — and stifling grassroots voices.
Kaseme said that although supporters accepted the appointment of Siaya Senator Dr. Oburu Oginga as the new party leader following the passing of Raila Odinga, they were disappointed with how party affairs in the region were being run.
“In one voice as ODM supporters in Tana River County, we will not join our brothers and sisters in Mombasa for the ODM@20 celebrations. We will mark the day here in Hola as we also continue to mourn our departed party leader Raila Odinga,” he said.
He emphasized that Tana River ODM members fully back Dr. Oginga’s leadership and his mandate to steer the party forward, but urged the national headquarters to address what they termed as deepening inequalities within the devolved units.
Kaseme lamented that devolution — a pillar ODM has championed over the years — was now under threat, claiming that counties like Tana River were not receiving equitable opportunities. He cited disparities in development allocations and limited access to national government jobs for residents of the region.
“Some counties in the Coast region, especially ours, are not getting their fair share of opportunities. Even employment in the national government is hard to come by. The party headquarters must recognize us and stop subjecting us to decisions made in Mombasa,” he added.
The decision by the Tana River ODM supporters marks a rare public expression of discontent within the party’s coastal base, traditionally one of its strongest strongholds.
