Likoni MP Mishi Mboko has warned the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) will not hesitate to walk out of the broad-based government arrangement if it is not accorded mutual respect.
Her remarks add to growing dissent within ODM as tensions surrounding the political partnership continue to mount, even as senior leaders maintain that the arrangement remains intact.
Speaking on Tuesday at Makande Grounds in Mvita constituency during an ODM rally, Mboko insisted that the party's continued support for President William Ruto's administration should not be mistaken for weakness, warning that political alliances can change at any time.
"I want to tell you, politics can change in a single day. Only a single day can change the narrative of a scenario of any kind of politics," she said.
"Don't try us," she added, describing ODM's support as the defensive backline holding the Kenya Kwanza administration together.
The friction appears to centre on the terms of the partnership, with reports indicating that ODM is pushing for a joint 2027 manifesto that would guarantee it the Deputy President's position and half of the Cabinet slots.
Speaking at the same event, Mombasa Governor and ODM deputy party leader Abdulswamad Nassir said the party would not allow itself to be taken for granted, citing its extensive grassroots support and years of political mobilisation.
He said ODM would return to its supporters to determine the next course of action if what he described as disrespect within the broad-based arrangement persisted.
"If you see your house being mud-slinged, you go back to your people. You are ODM; without you, there's no us. We are seeing our neighbours who we thought were good neighbours continue to throw mud at us," he said.
The increasingly firm positions taken by some ODM leaders, coupled with recent cross-party defections, have fuelled speculation about possible backroom friction that could threaten the future of the partnership.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja moved from UDA to ODM and Turkana Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai moved the other way.
Although senior party figures, including Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga and party leader Oburu Oginga, have dismissed claims of divisions, the latest remarks point to lingering unease among grassroots leaders over the arrangement.
On Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot sought to calm the tensions while addressing an empowerment initiative for Gor Mahia supporters at Lela in Kobura, Kisumu County.
He assured ODM supporters that UDA recognised the party's political strength and would engage it as an equal partner as the two sides pursue formal terms governing their cooperation.
Cheruiyot said the political journey towards what the late Raila Odinga described as Canaan would continue through structured negotiations between the parties.
“We will have a structured negotiation with our equal partner ODM to deliver our people to Canaan, to fulfil the dream of Baba Raila Odinga," he said.
Mboko, however, maintained that ODM would pursue tough pre-election negotiations to secure respect and recognition within the partnership.
She argued that Raila's decision to join the broad-based government was not a reason for the party to remain in an arrangement where its interests were disregarded.
She noted that Raila had entered the deal to save the country from the brink of collapse rather than out of political desperation.
"Don't take us for granted. Respect begets respect, and if you cannot be respectful, we will square it out," she said.
She added that, in Raila's absence, other party leaders, including Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho and Governor Nassir, would defend ODM's interests to the bitter end.
The competing positions come as leaders within the broad-based arrangement work towards establishing a mutual framework for supporting Ruto's re-election in 2027.
However, the growing questioning within ODM over what the party stands to gain from the partnership is exposing a fundamental challenge.
Whether the arrangement can survive beyond political goodwill and translate into a mutually agreed framework that guarantees both sides a win-win outcome is a question that only time will answer as the 2027 contest draws closer.
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