Kawuor clan in Bondo has scoffed at rumours of a rift between the family of the late Raila Odinga and that of his brother and current ODM party leader Oburu Oginga.

Speaking during the 32nd anniversary of the death of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Jaramogi’s grandson, William Ojonyo, described the perceived differences between Raila’s daughter Winnie Odinga and her uncle Oburu as imaginary.

“I want to emphasise that there is no problem in Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s family. Winnie is simply an outspoken person and what the public witnessed is what we refer to as ‘juogi’ (spirits) and nothing more,” Ojonyo said.

The rumours of a falling out emerged after Winnie Odinga held a parallel ODM rally at Kamukunji Grounds in Nairobi while Oburu Oginga attended a separate rally in Kakamega on Sunday. At the Nairobi rally, Winnie criticised the ODM National Governing Council’s decision to hand over party control to her uncle.

She termed the decision as a ‘copy-paste’ of her late father’s leadership. She also hinted at supporting Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who she said were being side-lined over their political stances.

Ojonyo assured that the Jaramogi family has a robust dispute resolution mechanism to handle grievances from any member. He urged all family members, particularly the daughters (Nyiroche), to address their concerns internally rather than airing them publicly.

Omondi Odinga, Jaramogi’s son, who represented Oburu Oginga at the anniversary held at Kango ka Jaramogi, reiterated that the family has remained united since Jaramogi’s death in 1994. He noted that the public is over-playing Winnie Odinga’s political engagement and gave the assurance that her actions were not directed against her uncle.

“Winnie never mentioned Oburu Oginga by name. People are trying too hard to create division between the two families,” Omondi said. He stressed that the family remains united under Oburu’s leadership and called on the public to allow him time to settle into his new role as ODM party leader, a position he assumed following Raila’s demise.

“To be honest, Oburu never expected to lead the party, and naturally there will be some teething challenges. Let us honour Raila’s legacy by supporting Oburu, as going against his elder brother would never have made Raila happy,” Omondi added.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / by Brian Ondeng