By Anderson Ojwang

Currently, the country is witnessing a new political excitement and a wave in the making. The excitement and the wave in the making could be linked to the old age prophesy by the Luhya Prophet Elijah Masinde wa Nameme of Dini Ya Msambwa.

In his prophesy, he said the Luhya leadership would come through Lake Victoria, specifically the Luo community.

Currently, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna is creating a storm and a wave in the country’s political landscape, and his emergence is causing panic within the ruling coalition and the united opposition.

The developing wave and mantra Mimi Ndio Sifuna, wewe ni nani, Mimi ni Sifuna, after he was sacked by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) National Governing Council (NEC) as the Secretary General, created a political rapture.

Sifuna got a court reprieve and remains the ODM Secretary General but currently leads a faction, Linda Mwanainchi, which is fast gaining traction against the Linda Ground of the party leader Dr Oburu Oginga.

Prophet Masinde prophesy gets credence in Nyong’o’s choice of SG

In line with Prophet Masinde’s prophesy, Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o also predicted that Sifuna was built for the future when he headhunted him to be the Secretary General.

“First is the issue of Edwin Sifuna. I think none of you knows how Edwin Sifuna came into ODM. The guy is built for the future. You know what I mean. Ukiangalia huko mbele, utaona Sifuna. If you don’t know what I am saying, go home and think,” he predicted then.

Nyong’o spotted Sifuna’s talents through his newspaper contributions and decided to tap his knowledge and potential for the ODM party.

Nyong’o was convinced and humbled in his first interaction, and that marked the beginning of a new Secretary General for the party.

“Before I say much, I want to deal with a few matters rising from what has been spoken here. Are we together?

Edwin used to write for the Standard Newspaper, very good articles. And after serving for 12 years as Secretary General of ODM, I asked the party leader to allow me to concentrate on developing the research wing of the party and give the technocracy to another Secretary General.

We tried a few people; it never worked. So one day, I said to myself, that young man who writes so well in the Standard.

Let me call him and have lunch with him at United Kenya Club. I met Sifuna and I was very impressed. So I went and talked to the party leader and he agreed to have him on board,” he said in a previous speech.

He said Sifuna never failed him and that he has performed exceptionally well as the spokesperson of the party.

Jaramogi Oginga Odinga baton to Wamalwa Kijana

The doyen of the opposition, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, moved closer to fulfilling the prophesy by grooming and nurturing the youthful Wamalwa Kijana as his heir apparent.

The late Wamalwa became the Vice Chairman of Ford-K and, after Jaramogi’s death, he became the Chairman of the party.

Despite a power struggle with Jaramogi’s scion, the late Raila Amolo Odinga, Wamalwa gained control of the party, which eventually remained a Luhya party.

Raila resigned from the party to join the little-known NDP, on which he vied for the presidency in the 1997 general elections.

Wamalwa’s Ford-K party has remained a dominant political party in the Bukusu community for years but is currently slowly grinding to a halt after it lost in the by-election of Chwele-Kabuchai ward, the backyard and ward of the party leader Moses Wetangula.

Raila and Sifuna power play in the ODM

The late Raila, in his power gameplay and prison code messaging, often relied on Sifuna as his vehicle to pass his political messages.

For many, the contradictory stand Sifuna took on various emerging political issues in the country was actually Raila’s true position and opinion.

For instance, Oburu, ODM National Chairman Gladys Wanga, Junet Mohammed, among others, often criticised Sifuna for opposing the broad-based government of ODM and President William Ruto.

Raila, before his death, in an NTV interview, said he would support President William Ruto and the broad-based government up to 2027.

But a few days later, in a Citizen TV interview, Sifuna criticised the broad-based government and dismissed President Ruto’s administration, claiming the memorandum of understanding between ODM and UDA was dead.

The statement created a political storm in the party, and Raila, when he was in Kakamega for the party’s delegates meeting, came to the defence of Sifuna, saying the SG was free to express himself and should not be vilified for his constitutional right.

“It is not a must for people to have the same opinion, and we must defend the right to speak. If Sifuna has spoken, he has the right to do so, and if one feels they have a different opinion from what Sifuna is saying, then they should be free to say it. That is democracy,” Raila said then.

Sifuna said Raila entrusted him to prepare the final draft of the MOU with President Ruto against the protest of his close allies.

Raila indeed groomed Sifuna to be one of the country’s leading politicians.

Linda Mwanainchi Kakamega rally

The recent Kakamega rally birthed a new political dispensation in the Luhya community. The absence of all the elected political leaders from the region marked the birth of a new political leader.

The presence of Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Siaya Governor James Orengo was a major statement in line with the prophesy.

In Luhya land, the rise of Sifuna is likened to the famous prophesy, but will he live up to the billing?

By Anderson Ojwang

The United Opposition has moved to secure 960,262 Gusii community votes from the clutches of President William Ruto and his partner, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

In the 2022 presidential election in Kisii County, Azimio La Umoja presidential candidate, the late Raila Odinga, received 65.15 percent of the votes cast, accounting for 264,988 votes, while Ruto got 38.22 percent, accounting for 135,140 votes. The total registered voters as of 2022 were 637,010.

In Nyamira County, Raila received 61.20 percent of the votes cast, accounting for 104,477 votes, against 37.20 percent, which translated to 63,645 votes. The total registered voters were 323,283.

The installation of former Internal Security Cabinet Secretary and Deputy Leader of the Jubilee Party, Dr. Fred Matiang’i, as the community spokesperson has overhauled the community’s political terrain.

The move is similar to 2002, when the late former Cabinet Minister Simeon Nyachae founded Ford-P as his political vehicle to contest the presidency.

Nyachae’s Ford-P won most of the elective seats in the Gusii community and the majority of the presidential votes. But after Nyachae retired from politics, the late Raila Amolo Odinga and his party, ODM, became dominant in the area.

Raila and his party, ODM, have been dominant in successive elections from 2007 to 2022, where he received most of the presidential votes.

ODM has been the party of the Gusii community, with the majority of elected governors, MCAs, MPs, senators, and the Woman Representative elected on its ticket.

Currently, Kisii Governor Simba Arati is the ODM Deputy Party Leader and is aligned with the Linda Ground faction of party leader Dr. Oburu Oginga, which has expressed intent to begin pre-election coalition negotiations with President Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

This move has split ODM, with the Linda Mwananchi faction—associated with Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, Siaya Governor James Orengo, and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino—opposed to the talks.

The Monday installation of Matiang’i as community elder and spokesperson changed the political equation in the region and is likely to confine President William Ruto and ODM to the periphery.

Matiang’i, who has declared his presidential interest on a United Opposition ticket, thanked the elders and the community for making him their leader.

“The elders and people, I want to thank you for the honor and the traditional rites you have conducted. You have handed me instruments of power. I want to commit here that I will not let you down.

I will respectfully represent you and will work with you. I will consult the elders and the council of elders on weighty issues affecting the community and the country.

You will advise me on the course of action, and I will not go against your advice,” he said.

DCP Party Leader Rigathi Gachagua said the installation and making of Matiang’i as the community spokesperson has locked the community votes to the Opposition and will be an impetus to their winning the 2027 presidential elections.

“We have been invited here by our brother for an important ceremony for the Abagusii community. The elders, led by Mzee Matundari, Dr. Sam Ongeri, and Dr. Chris Obure, among others, were in attendance at Ekerenyo,” he said.

Gachagua said the making of Matiang’i as the community spokesperson was the best move and an added advantage to the United Opposition.

“This was a very important move to make Matiang’i the sole spokesperson of the Abagusii community. I am disappointed that during this important community ceremony, some people were hell-bent on causing chaos,” he said.

He said going forward, the community should shun and reject “fake” political spokespersons who have nothing to show for the community’s growth.

“I am happy you maintained peace to ensure the ceremony went uninterrupted,” he said.

He said Matiang’i would be able to negotiate for the community’s share of the national cake after he was handed the mantle.

DAP leader Eugene Wamalwa said the United Opposition has embarked on locking its vote bloc from President Ruto in order to win next year’s presidential election.

“Today, we have locked the Gusii community votes from President Ruto. Rigathi has locked the Mt. Kenya vote bloc, while Kalonzo has locked Ukambani. We are also locking the Luhya vote bloc, and we will make President Ruto irrelevant in the 2027 general election,” he said.

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka said the United Opposition will easily win the 2027 presidential election.

“President Ruto recently claimed he will defeat us by more than 2 million votes. But you can see from Narok to here in Kisii, the mood is one term. Where will Ruto get the votes to win?” he said.

He said the Opposition will remain united and that none of them will bolt out of the coalition.

“The train has left. You are either with us or not with us. The team is riding to victory. We have what it takes to win the presidential race,” he said.

President Ruto is banking on Arati and UDA MPs from the region to lead his vote hunt in the community, and with the making of Matiang’i as the community spokesperson, the battle will be interesting and intriguing.

By Anderson Ojwang

The fallout in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) took a new twist after the Luhya Elders Forum held an intensive and high-voltage meeting with party leader Dr. Oburu Oginga in Kisumu, where they declared support for Edwin Sifuna as the Secretary General of the party.

The elders sided with Sifuna as Secretary General and rejected the appointment of Catherine Omanyo as the Secretary General of the party.

“Senator Sifuna went to the Dispute Tribunal and was given a reprieve until the matter is heard and determined. We have noted that the position of the Party Leader is that Senator Sifuna is the Secretary General of the court and that it is Hon. Catherine Omanyo who is the Secretary General of ODM.

This is far from the truth. ODM stands for the rule of law. If the Tribunal reinstated Senator Sifuna to his position, ODM should comply and allow Senator Sifuna to perform his duties,” the elders told Oburu at the meeting.

The Luhya Elders Forum convened the meeting over what they termed as alarming and worrying political divisions in ODM and the sacking of party Secretary General Edwin Sifuna by Dr. Oburu and his allies.

The meeting was also attended by the Ker of the Luo Council of Elders, Mzee Odungi Randa, who confirmed that the meeting delved into the emerging split in the party and possible solutions to arrest it.

“We had a healthy discussion with party leader Dr. Oburu and the elders from the Luhya community. We were concerned about the split in the party and how to find a solution to it,” he said.

The Luhya Elders Forum Demands

The meeting brief said it was arranged by the Luhya Elders Forum in order to find a solution to what they described as an escalating problem in ODM that was likely to affect the community.

The forum was angered by the recent decision to sack Sifuna as the ODM Secretary General and stated that they stand with the Nairobi senator as the bona fide Secretary General of the party.

“The elders were not happy with the decision that was taken to expel Senator Sifuna from the position of Secretary General of ODM.

The elders have reviewed many publications and can confirm that the position taken by Senator Sifuna aligns with the late Raila Odinga’s mind,” read the brief.

Recently, the ODM National Executive Council (NEC) sacked Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna as the Secretary General and spokesperson with immediate effect.

The move followed a protracted battle between the faction allied to party leader Dr. Oburu Oginga and Sifuna over the pre-election coalition pact with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

In a statement read by ODM, “The Party National Executive Committee meeting in Mombasa today has resolved to relieve Secretary General Edwin Sifuna of his responsibilities with immediate effect.

Effectively, Catherine Omanyo, who is one of the Deputy Secretaries General, will act in this position until a substantive holder of the office is elected.”

But Sifuna moved to the Political Parties Tribunal Court and got a reprieve. Oburu maintained that Omanyo was the party Secretary General, while Sifuna was the court-recognized Secretary General.

The elders said the NGC resolutions made in Kilifi did not confine ODM to entering into a deal with UDA alone but allowed engagement with all political formations in the country, including President William Ruto’s UDA.

“We are aware that ODM does have structures that have been specifically created to deal with coalitions, and it is not proper for Senator Oburu and Chairlady Governor Gladys Wanga to handle discussions, nor is it proper to deal with the matters in public rallies,” they said at the meeting.

The elders supported sentiments by ODM Vice Chairperson Dr. Otiende Amollo over structured negotiations, where he asked Dr. Oburu to delegate the talks to other members of the party.

“We would like to refer specifically to sentiments attributed to Hon. Otiende Amollo on the same matter. We have given a copy of the publication, which we think spells out the exact position,” they said.

Otiende told Oburu at a recent ODM function in Kisumu that as party leader of ODM, he cannot double up as the lead negotiator in the ODM–President William Ruto United Democratic Alliance (UDA) pre-election coalition pact.

“At the beginning, it was me who spoke about structured dialogue. Currently, Dr. Oburu, you are our leader. Everyone in attendance is in agreement that we must have structured negotiations.

If we talk about structured negotiations, it doesn’t mean we are against the talks. We demand more slots.

Dr. Oburu, now we are heading to structured negotiations. You should not lead the talks. You are our leader, and you cannot be at the front. You can be killed and we remain without a leader.

You must have what they call the first right of acceptance and the first right of refusal.

If it is right, you accept, and when it is wrong, you refuse. Use your foot soldiers. Even if the foot soldiers are killed, that is normal provided the leader is safe,” he said.

The elders asked the party leadership to put in motion proper mechanisms to deal with the coalition discussions.

The elders also said the party leadership should move with speed to end the split in the party.

“They should, as a sign of goodwill, settle the Tribunal’s case. The party leader or any individuals should not be involved directly in the discussions. Once a decision is taken on the coalitions, then public participation can take place,” they said.

Randa said it was agreed at the meeting that the Elders Forum would engage Sifuna to break the ice and reconcile him with Oburu.

The elders asked Oburu that in future they should consider town hall meetings instead of public rallies to achieve the objective of public participation.

“Town hall discussions are a better way of carrying out participation since they give people a chance to interrogate the matter,” they said.

ODM currently has two factions: Linda Ground, allied to Dr. Oburu, which supports a pre-election coalition with President Ruto, and Linda Mwananchi, which is opposed to it.

By Anderson Ojwang

In a tactical move after three successful political rallies in Busia, Kitengela, and Kakamega, Linda Mwananchi is taking a brief break to embark on planning the next political course and activities.

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino said the group was temporarily taking a break from its activities in honor of the holy month of Ramadan before embarking on countrywide rallies.

Babu said the team will now engage in planning the next activities for the next 10 months up to December.

“Next we will go to Mombasa after Ramadan. We are meeting next week to discuss the timetable. We want to produce a timetable which will run up to December,” he said.

He said after December the team will again embark on activities leading to the August elections.

“After December, we will pick up from January up to the election period. This thing is going to be massive, and in the beginning there was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” he said.

Babu described Linda Mwananchi as a seed that grows into a forest and said that is why the group, just like a seed, is growing bigger day by day.

“We have just planted a seed. The power of a seed is to be fruitful. The reason why mankind was created is to be fruitful. The power of a seed, when planted, produces a tree. That tree will produce fruits. In those fruits are seeds. Those seeds, when planted, will produce many trees and eventually turn into a forest. That is what we are working at. We will work with the power of being fruitful, and we will also work with the power of multiplication,” he said.

Just like in the biblical parable of the mustard seed, the Linda Mwananchi group, from a tiny, humble beginning, is fast becoming and growing into the country’s expansive and prolific political outfit and movement.

The sacking became the political matchbox that transformed the country’s political landscape, with Sifuna posting on his X handle, “Tukutane Kite.”

From Busia, Kenya’s border with Uganda, the wave began even before the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) National Executive Council (NEC) sat in Kilifi County to sack the party Secretary General Edwin Sifuna from the seat. The Busia wave caused panic within and across the political divide in the country and ODM, which culminated in the NEC, under party leader Dr. Oburu Oginga, sacking Sifuna.

Kenyans of goodwill also donated a van fully equipped with a public address system after the last weekend’s mess in Kitengela.

Sifuna wrote on his X handle, “We saw you struggling with sound. Bwana kumbe you guys are serious! They will not believe! Sasa ni wapi tunaeza chinja na kuchemedsha hizi 20 nimepewa hapo Kakamega?”

Siaya Governor James Orengo said the spirit of the enigma, the late Raila Amolo Odinga, has reincarnated in the group.

“This thing is huge. It is a tsunami. It is unstoppable. No force on earth is going to stand in our way. Rest assured, with their machinations, this meeting is going to take place, just like they tried in Kitengela and the meeting went on.

They better be prepared for this huge movement of the people and by the people,” he said.

The Kakamega Linda Mwananchi rally has not only caused panic and fear in Oburu’s Linda Ground and the United Opposition but also in President William Ruto.

It has pushed the United Opposition from boardroom meetings, unending press conferences, and monotonous campaign rounds in Mt. Kenya, Ukambani, and Narok to move to other parts of the country.

Stung by the emerging new political wave, President Ruto on Monday held a consultative meeting with MPs from Kakamega County, in what appeared to be a move aimed at containing the group and possibly diminishing the gains so far.

The train is currently witnessing an upsurge of new followers, including members of county assemblies, parliamentary aspirants, gubernatorial aspirants, women representatives, and other aspirants across the country.