ODM@20 Dinner in Mombasa | Henry Kosgei reveals tumultuous origin of ODM |

At the ODM@20 dinner in Mombasa, Henry Kosgei gave a candid account of the party’s turbulent formation. He narrated how, after the 2005 referendum, the reform team moved to register ODM only to discover that Gitobu Imanyara had already registered the party behind their backs. They then attempted to register ODM–K, but President Kibaki blocked the process. Janet Ong’era eventually secured the ODM certificate, but the team was tear-gassed at Uhuru Park as they tried to launch the movement. Kosgei also recalled how Uhuru Kenyatta tried to blackmail the group, prompting him to tell Uhuru to go back to KANU. He added that Kalonzo Musyoka, Mutula Kilonzo, and Dan Maanzo ran off with the ODM Kenya certificate, further complicating the struggle. Raila Odinga later traced Imanyara and bought back the ODM party, securing the identity the movement carries today. Kosgei concluded that the Broad-Based arrangement remains the strongest and most effective platform for forming government in 2027.