ODM Statement On Standard Newspaper Publications About Raila Odinga and Family

Further to the statement we issued yesterday on the Standard Newspaper's campaign against Rt Hon Raila Odinga, and which we promised to expound on, we wish to state as follows:

That for some time now, the Standard Newspapers has pursued a campaign of demonising and tarnishing the person, career, standing and legacy of Rt. Hon Raila Odinga, Leader of the Orange Democratic Movement.

ODM has particularly taken note of the paper's lead story in the Monday, May 5, 2025 edition, which was not only misleading but also packed with lies, malice, mischief, and a clear vendetta against the Odinga family.

This campaign has both political and profit motives and Standard is a mere instrument in a grand design to blackmail and arm twist Mr. Odinga and ODM into supporting the political position of the owners and management of the Standard Group.

In a process informed by warped marketing logic, the Standard also hopes to boost sales among ODM supporters by questioning and rubbishing their choices. This smear campaign by the Standard took a more personal turn on Monday, May 2023, when the newspaper dragged Raila and the entire Odinga family through the mud by falsely claiming that members currently in elective and appointive positions owe it to the political pact between UDA and ODM.

The article rightly acknowledged that H.E. Raila Odinga currently holds no government office. It also correctly stated that Dr. Oburu Oginga is an elected Senator, and Hon. Winnie Odinga is a duly elected Member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), a position that requires nomination and election by the National Assembly.

However, having made these factual observations, The Standard recklessly and falsely attributes these roles to the so-called "handshake" - a claim designed to undermine the credibility of legitimate electoral and parliamentary processes and the standing of the targeted leaders.

The same story also noted, quite accurately, that Dr. Wenwa Akinyi Oranga once served as Chief Chemist at the Pyrethrum Board of Kenya, before being unceremoniously sacked upon discovery of her identity as the daughter of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. Instead of treating this as an injustice - which it undoubtedly was - the article repackages it as precedent for continued exclusion and vilification.

The unmistakable insinuation in The Standard's narrative is that anyone bearing the Odinga name has no place in Kenya's public life - whether in elective, appointive, or even voluntary service. This toxic sentiment is not new. It was institutionalized under the regimes of Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi. The sad reality is that the owners and editorial decision-makers at The Standard appear committed to resurrecting and entrenching this discriminatory and retrogressive doctrine for current and future administrations.

It is not lost on observers that The Standard serves the political interests of a well-known family whose own members have simultaneously held multiple elective offices - a fact that has never attracted criticism or questions from the same media house, solely because their surname is not Odinga.

The underlying message in this sensational and skewed piece is clear: that an Odinga must not serve the public in any capacity if another Odinga is leading the opposition; and that an Odinga must not be permitted to serve even when political temperatures have cooled and the nation is seeking unity and dialogue.

ODM condemns this cynical attempt to demonize the Odinga family and delegitimize their place in Kenya's public and political life. We remind The Standard and its backers that Kenya is a constitutional democracy founded on equality, fairness, and merit - not inherited exclusion.

We appeal to our supporters to refuse to be blackmailed, arm twisted and intimidated by a company that is pursuing a disguised political and profit motive.

The Party stands in support of every Kenyan holding an appointive or elective position regardless of family or region of origin, the Odingas included.

Sen. Edwin Sifuna

6 May, 2025