The illustration, published in Nation Africa, depicts ODM leaders as orange-clad prisoners standing before a "Welcome to ODM" doormat, urging the removal of a door lock fashioned as ousted Secretary General Edwin Sifuna's head, complete with dreadlocks—a pun on locs.
A figure in yellow, symbolizing President Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA), reaches desperately from a window, hinting at alleged government meddling.
The cartoon surfaced amid escalating infighting, triggered by ODM's National Executive Committee (NEC) decision on February 11 to remove Sifuna for indiscipline and defiance.
Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo was appointed acting SG, but the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal halted the ouster pending a hearing, allowing Sifuna to claim he remains in office.
Factions are divided: Oburu Oginga's camp pushes for alignment with Ruto's government, while Sifuna's rebels oppose it, accusing rivals of being minions doing former President Uhuru Kenyatta's bidding.
Shared widely on X, including by former MP Alfred Keter, the cartoon elicited laughter and barbs.
Users identified caricatures of Oburu Odinga and Junet Mohamed among the inmates, with one quipping, "Mimi ndio Sifuna, ODM lockist."
Omanyo escalated tensions at a rally, accusing Sifuna of orchestrating insults against her education and background.
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Analysts warn the rift could splinter ODM ahead of 2027 elections, eroding its opposition role. Sifuna's camp plans rallies, vowing to reclaim control at the upcoming National Delegates Conference.
ODM veterans like John Mbadi defend the NEC's actions as constitutional. As satire meets reality, the party's future hangs in the balance.
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