The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) National Chair John Mbadi has disowned Siaya Senator James Orengo over his latest remarks regarding the party leader Raila Odinga.
Speaking in a TV interview Wednesday evening, Orengo hinted at a possible coalition between ODM and President Uhuru Kenyatta in the 2022 elections, saying that the two parties are in talks.
But the remarks were in Thursday dismissed by Mbadi who doubles up as the Suba South lawmaker, adding that the party has no such plans as if now.
"It is not in doubt that as a party we will participate in the 2022 elections. As to who will be our competitors we still don’t know. As to who we will work with in terms of alliances we still don’t know,” he was quoted by the Citizen Digital.
He fired a direct shot at Orengo who doubles up as a close ally of Raila, reminding him that he is in no place to speak for the party and cautioning him against misleading the nation.
"So it is premature and too early for anybody to purport to be speaking for ODM and implying that ODM has already entered into any arrangement with any party or individual," added Mbadi.
In the initial declaration, Orengo said that though the party will obviously front a presidential candidate, it's not guaranteed that the candidate will be Raila whose four previous bids have been all futile.