By Anderson Ojwang

The party leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Dr Oburu Oginga, has dismissed the alleged ouster by Siaya Governor James Orengo, saying he can only be party leader of birds.

Oburu, speaking in Bondo on Friday, said Orengo has no capacity to take over the leadership of ODM and was daydreaming.

“Orengo declared himself party leader. You can be party leader of trees, of the birds, or any other party. But you are certainly not the party leader of ODM by declaring yourself as the acting party leader,” he said.

Oburu told Orengo that he cannot wrestle the party leadership of ODM from him whatsoever.

“I don’t care if somebody goes and declares himself party leader. If you think you have the power to take over ODM, you are cheated,” he said.

Orengo last weekend at a Linda Mwananchi rally in Nakuru declared himself as the party leader, a move which was meant to unsettle the Siaya Senator who was recently confirmed as the party leader during the Special Delegates Conference held in Nairobi.

However, during the SDC, Oburu was only provided with the walking stick and the constitution of the party and the country as the instruments of power.

But conspicuously missing was the party registration certificate, the single most important document that defines party control and authority.

Former judge Justice Stewart Madzayo, who presided over the transition, said: “I, Stewart Madzayo, today I give the instruments of power. Inside the bag are Kenya’s constitution and the ODM constitution. We give this to Dr Oburu a walking stick to mark a new reign as our leader.”

Orengo claimed that he had ousted Oburu from the seat for failing to steer the party forward and adequately prepare for the 2027 general election.

“We know the Secretary General of ODM is Edwin Sifuna, and because Oburu is unable, now Orengo is the acting party leader of ODM. Thank you,” he said.

But ODM Director of Elections dismissed Orengo’s claims that he was the acting party leader of ODM as a figment of imagination.

“I have heard Orengo say he is party leader. Which party is that? Dr Oburu Oginga is the party leader of ODM. We are in broad-based government. We cannot leave it. We cannot follow Orengo in demos,” he said.

Junet said when the leader of Ford-K, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, died, Orengo wanted to be the party’s leader.

“Our leader is Oburu Oginga. We know where we are going, and our party is ODM, and we are in broad-based government,” he said.

Genesis of the battle

Orengo has dominated and monopolized his political battles with the Siaya Senator, edging him out to the periphery.

Orengo and Oburu first clashed over the ODM ticket for the Siaya senatorial seat, where he managed to isolate Oburu from the MPs from Siaya County.

In the 2013 elections, after the promulgation of the 2010 constitution which created the Senate seat, Orengo and Oburu engaged in a fierce contest over the seat.

Orengo expressed interest in the seat while Oburu also wanted to become the first senator for Siaya County.

In the contest, Orengo had the support of Siaya MPs led by the late Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo, and Oburu was left exposed and a lonely man in the battle.

Midiwo then said that leaders from Siaya County would not support then Finance Assistant Minister Oburu Oginga’s quest for the county’s Senate seat.

“All elective positions in the county will be distributed based on equity and not greed of a clique of some politicians,” said Midiwo.

Oburu never forgave Jakoyo for forsaking him despite being his maternal cousin, and in the 2017 general elections, he fronted the current MP Elisha Odhiambo against the incumbent.

With the support of Jakoyo and other MPs, Oburu was forced to swallow humble pie and declared interest in the gubernatorial seat.

But at the ODM primaries, Oburu found that the current Siaya Deputy Governor Dr William Oduol had entrenched himself and won the disputed nomination.

The ODM party leadership opted to give the ticket to little-known Amoth Rasanga, who won the election, while Oburu was nominated to EALA.

The 2013 loss pushed Oburu to the political periphery, with Orengo becoming one of the key advisors of the late ODM party leader Raila Amolo Odinga.

Linda Ground versus Linda Mwananchi

For several decades, Oburu has been playing second fiddle to his younger brother, the late Raila Amolo Odinga, and only gained prominence after his elevation following Raila’s death.

But Oburu’s elevation has not been rosy, with Orengo appearing once again to challenge his leadership. Orengo is currently a principal of the Linda Mwananchi faction.

Orengo’s Linda Mwananchi wing is opposed to the pre-election coalition pact with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

Oburu leads the Linda Ground faction, and recently during the SDC, Oburu was mandated to engage with President Ruto over the coalition.

Linda Mwananchi is growing from strength to strength while Linda Ground wobbles and faces internal disagreement over political zoning.

Recently, Oburu accused Orengo of trying to lead the community away from the broad-based government for his own political gain.

The political struggle

Orengo has dismissed Oburu as one who has never been at the forefront of political struggle, and that is why Raila became the heir to the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.

“Oburu has never been on the political front, never tasted teargas, and is not capable of leading ODM,” he said.

He said despite Oburu being born into a political family, he is mostly in the background, and this is why he has been on the periphery.

“Oburu was born in a political family. Most of his father’s life he was in the political background. He never tasted teargas. He has never been inside a police station. It was not by accident that Raila was the true heir. But he is a good man, but I think he cannot be able to lead the party in the right direction if he is being manipulated by characters in the party,” he said.

My shoes and a new chapter

Dr Oburu is steering the party through the transition and reorganizing the party despite the plots within Linda Ground and without to undermine his leadership.

“I have made my shoes, and I have started to walk. So I cannot fall. I want to tell you, Raila left us in a broad-based arrangement. I have been mandated by the party to negotiate with President Ruto. I am soon forming a strong team from ODM to lead the negotiations. We are not going to allow people to pull us backward. Things will not fall apart,” he said.

The last battle

Oburu has the last opportunity to avenge Orengo’s constant political humiliation or perish altogether. This is the opportunity for Oburu to rewrite history, or Orengo’s dominance over him will continue.

By Anderson Ojwang

After weeks of lamentations, protestations, gnashing of teeth and threats, the Linda Ground faction of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) was for the first time smiling after meeting President William Ruto at State House in Nairobi.

The Linda Ground leadership, which was acting like a jilted, scorned, frustrated and desperate lover, finally laughed after the reassurance that all was well during a consultative meeting of the ODM and United Democratic Alliance (UDA) joint central management committee.

Recently, the “Tunataka Pawa” brigade morphed into “Tunataka Respect,” then to “Tunalinda Chama,” and finally to a broad smile.

The ODM and UDA joint consultative meeting was co-chaired by President William Ruto and Dr Oburu Oginga, the ODM party leader, and brought together the UDA Steering Committee and the ODM Central Management Committee.

The joint press statement said the meeting focused on strengthening collaboration and exploring areas of mutual interest between the two parties. In a key resolution, the meeting mandated the respective party chairpersons to continue structured and regular consultations across party organs.

“These ongoing engagements are intended to build consensus on priority issues and lay the foundation for a formal coalition of equals between UDA and ODM,” read the statement.

The statement added: “In addition, the two party leaders agreed to establish a Broad-Based Management Committee comprising the party leaders, selected Cabinet Ministers, and the Majority and Minority Leaders in Parliament. The committee will be tasked with coordinating and synchronizing the legislative and executive agenda of government to ensure coherence, efficiency, and effective service delivery.”

The statement also stated that both parties reaffirmed their commitment to constructive dialogue, unity of purpose, and a shared vision for national development and inclusive governance.

The meeting was attended by Deputy President and UDA Deputy Party Leader Kithure Kindiki, UDA National Chairperson Cecily Mbarire, Secretary General Hassan Omar Hassan, ODM Chairperson Gladys Wanga, Secretary General Catherine Omanyo, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, and Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot, alongside other senior leaders from both parties.

Ironically, Hassan has been viewed by Linda Ground as the main catalyst to the lamentations and protestations over his stand on zoning in the 2027 general elections.

Omar said UDA’s strategy is anchored on inclusivity and open political competition, rejecting any attempts to limit where candidates can contest.

“Anybody who wants to vie against UDA in our strongholds is welcome, and we won’t stop anyone. Similarly, for us, we don’t want anybody to tell us that we cannot file candidates in their strongholds.”

For Omar, he is advocating for friendly competition during the 2027 general elections in their strongholds, while Linda Ground will not hear any of that and have even threatened to walk out of the pre-election coalition arrangement.

Recently, ODM’s Central Management Committee meeting demanded respect from their partner UDA in a statement.

“On our relationship with our broad-based partners, the UDA party, the CMC noted with concern the goings-on and the unwarranted public utterances by some senior officials aimed at causing anxiety and disquiet among our members. As a party that believes in its principles, ideology and the foundation on which it was founded, we demand respect from the UDA party,” read the statement in parts.

Interestingly in attendance was Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki, whose seat ODM has been eyeing in the pre-election coalition arrangement.

Dr Oburu has declared the party would not accept any position lower than that of the Deputy President in any pre-election coalition ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Oburu has maintained that the party will only negotiate for top positions from a position of strength, and not desperation.

“If we have to go for a lower position, it must not be lower than number two (deputy president) in any formation. That is my take. We should not take less than that,” he said.

Kindiki has in the recent past adopted a reconciliatory tone within the Mt Kenya political matrix.

“I don’t have any battle with my fellow leaders. I have no problems with my brothers, who are leaders. I am an elder from this region. I am a leader. There is today and tomorrow. After leading, we will remain here as one community. Is it not true? Because of that, I have no problem with any leader, even those who abuse me,” he said.

Kindiki said he has unconditionally forgiven those from his region who have been abusing him, and the unity of the community was paramount.

“I have forgiven them. I have unconditionally forgiven them. Because I do not want to be at war with my brothers. I am a pure Meru,” he said.

He said as an elder and member of the Njuri Ncheke, it was incumbent upon him to foster peace and unity for the benefit of the community.

“As an elder of Njuri Ncheke, I know we must create peace and unity because after politics, we will remain as a community,” he said.

But earlier he had reassured and moved to set the record straight in Mt Kenya, stating that he was Deputy President of Kenya and that the people should not panic.

Kindiki also said he has his eyes set on the presidency in the future and that he was second in command in the country.

“I have heard that there are some people who have caused panic among you here. I want to ask you, you know I am the second in command in the government. I want to tell you to relax. I am the Deputy President of Kenya.”

Kindiki said the post of Deputy President was going nowhere and that he would be the running mate of President William Ruto in the 2027 general elections.

“And there is nowhere the seat is going to. From Deputy President, there is no turning back but moving ahead. Those whom you hear speak, do not panic; we are the architects of politics. If you look at me, do you think I can be intimidated by people?” he said.

Recently, ODM Director of Elections Junet Mohammed warned their partners in the broad-based alliance against infiltration of their strongholds and threatened to walk out.

“I want to tell our UDA partners that we want power. If we can’t get it here, we will look elsewhere,” he said.

Junet claimed that state machinery was being used to pressure ODM legislators – particularly from the Coast and Western regions – to defect to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

Wanga has come out strongly to protect ODM from infiltration, saying they were ready to walk out of any negotiations.

“Ka ngato omulo chama wa. Kata in ema omiyo wa mo moleny (If someone tries to destroy our party, even if he is the one who gives us ghee). Waweyo ne mo no (We will leave that ghee),” she said.

Wanga said it was time to protect the party from intrusion and to prevent the party from losing its parliamentary strength in the next election.

“Nyaka warit chama (We must protect the party). Ok inyal bedo e mesa ka in gimps 20 onge ngame dbi winji (You cannot go to the negotiation when you only have 20 MPs because you will have no bargaining power),” she said.

By Anderson Ojwang

The Linda Ground faction in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) seems to be getting it wrong on the political strategies and moves they implement. Every step is a misstep. Every calculation is a false start and a wrong answer.

Every political move by the Dr Oburu Oginga-led faction seems to draw criticism and doesn’t resonate well with a section of the members, who now express fear over the future of the party.

The just-launched ODM Youth convention has become the point of storm in the party, with youthful Migori Senator Eddy Oketch Muok Ratego questioning the non-involvement and the lacking faces of the youths in the organization and its leadership.

“Where are faces like Umi, Winnie Odinga, Hezena, Irene Mayaka, Jalang’o, Amina Mnyazi the host, and other vibrant young leaders in this party?” he asked.

The hard question emerging over the ODM Youth Convention 2026 is on the lacking face of the youths and their non-involvement.

ODM party has the youngest member of parliament, Boyd Were of Kasipul, who should be the face of the youth convention, but his image and presence are missing.

Instead, on the posters are the usual images of uninspiring leaders led by the party leader, Dr Oburu, deputy party leaders Governor Abdulsamad Nassir and his Kisii counterpart Simba Arati, National Chairperson Governor Gladys Wanga, and ODM’s Director of Elections Junet Mohammed.

“How do these faces inspire the youth and enhance youth engagement in a major party youth event?” Oketch asked.

The late Raila Amolo Odinga’s youth face of the party, comprising Secretary General Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi MP Babu Owino among others, differed with the Oburu faction over the pre-election coalition arrangement with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance.

The Sifuna-led wing formed the Linda Mwananchi faction, which has gained prominence and support not only from within but also from outside the party.

They have been holding successful rallies across the country and this weekend have a double header for Vihiga and Kisumu on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

The Migori senator said the youths will no longer ask for their engagement but will take over what is rightfully due to them.

“And not just having youthful faces in posters, but also honestly involving them in the financial and programmatic planning of these activities. With us, we will not demand for respect; we will take respect,” he said.

Oketch said ODM’s non-involvement of the youths is where the problem begins in the party, negating its growth and development.

“The non-intentional involvement of youth, both in the leadership of the party and in their own forums, is where the problem lies in the party,” he said.

Oketch said some of them have been very reasonable for the past year, and he has tried to raise their discontentment internally within the party organs but with no success.

“I have equally talked about youth involvement to several top leaders of the party. But it is becoming unbearable,” he said.

Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho shared the poster with a rider: “Tukutane Malindi.”

The ODM Central Management Committee recently resolved to hold Youth Conventions across the country, with the first one held on Monday in Nairobi.

“Our commitment to the next generation is equally a priority. We are heading directly to the grassroots to engage our young leaders through a series of youth conventions. I am looking forward to being in Nairobi on Monday, April 20th, and Mombasa on Sunday, April 26th. These engagements will culminate in a joint NEC, Parliamentary Group, and Governors retreat scheduled from May 1st to 3rd,” read the statement from the Central Committee by the Deputy Secretary General Catherine Omanyo.

Oburu wrote on his social media handles that he had noted the concerns of the youths over leadership and commitment.

“Today I presided over the Nairobi Youth convention, organized by the National ODM Youth League and Nairobi OYL. I received your Memorandum from the youth leadership, and my message to you is simple: I hear you. The energy you bring from all 85 wards of Nairobi today reminds me that the future of this country is already here.”

Oburu said the strength of the party has been in the youths, and that is why they had organized the conventions.

“The strength of ODM has always been in its people, but its true heartbeat is in its youth. We are committed to party unity and discipline because a house divided cannot stand; we shall endeavor to bring everyone to the table to ensure our loyalty to the cause remains unshaken,” he said.

He said the youths’ loyalty is the bedrock of the party’s survival and success.

“Your demand for empowerment is a necessity for our survival, and we are working to ensure the path from the Youth League to the ballot paper is clear, fair, and protected. Your loyalty is the bedrock of our success. Let us go back to the grassroots, register the millions, and show the country that Nairobi is, and will remain, Orange!” he said.

With the emerging dissenting youth voices over leadership, Linda Ground may be faced with another power struggle from within, different from that of Linda Mwananchi.

It is just a matter of time before Kenyans witness an exodus from Linda Ground to Linda Mwananchi or other political formations.

By Habil Onyango

President William Ruto stole his way into Homa Bay County, the bedroom of the late Raila Amolo Odinga, by initiating some projects in the county and engaging Governor Gladys Wanga in fish frying at the shores of Lake Victoria.

And now, Homa Bay County, the land of endless potential, is uniquely turning out as the battleground for the broad-based arrangement partners, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

While Homa Bay County is the political bedroom of the ODM party, curiously UDA of President William Ruto has offices in every corner of the county.

Homa Bay, the home of the former and current party chairman John Mbadi and Governor Gladys Wanga respectively, has for decades failed to have party offices.

ODM’s declining power base in Homa Bay

After the 2013 general elections, ODM faced a serious challenge for the gubernatorial seat in 2017, when Governor Cyprian Awiti controversially won the election against Independent candidate Oyugi Magwanga. Awiti won by 224,863 votes against Magwanga’s 174,235.

Awiti’s election was nullified by the High Court and Court of Appeal but survived at the Supreme Court.

In the 2022 gubernatorial election, Raila forced a Wanga-Magwanga ticket against former Nairobi Governor Dr Evans Odhiambo Kidero. Wanga won by 244,599 votes against Kidero’s 154,182 votes.

From the above two elections, it could be a warning that ODM may be disadvantaged in the 2027 general elections with the absence of the Raila factor, and the party’s gubernatorial candidate will have an uphill task.

In the last general election, ODM swept all the elective posts including the Governor, the Senator, Woman Representative, and MPs, and 32 out of 40 elected Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) sailed through on the party ticket.

Wanga will face off with Magwanga in the 2027 general election, and it may be a tricky juggling act for the governor to successfully defend the seat.

The bedroom

Homa Bay town historically hosted Raila’s last countrywide rallies before the final one in Nairobi.

In 2018, Raila held his final rally in the county ahead of his planned mock swearing-in as the People’s President in Nairobi, in what he termed as his “last supper with his supporters.”

The demise of Raila and wrangling in the party is painting a worrying situation in the county, with the UDA team also upping the game.

UDA inroads

UDA has made sizeable inroads in Homa Bay and is likely to give ODM candidates and other candidates a run for their money.

“We have established offices in various parts of the county, besides recruiting members and establishing structures in the county with key figures,” said Silas Jakakimba, a parliamentary aspirant for Suba North.

The fear factor by some of the ODM leaders in the county could be the reason for the call for zoning, while others have been opposed to the proposal.

Wanga and Homa Bay MP Opondo Kaluma, the proponents of zoning, argue that in order to support William Ruto’s re-election, UDA should not field any of their candidates in regions currently held by ODM.

Further, they are demanding that in the agreement, the positions must be divided on a 50-50 basis, whereby they demand for the Deputy President position if Ruto vies for the Presidency.

According to the two leaders, Homa Bay remains an ODM zone, and they will not allow any other political party to gain ground in the region.

Wanga has declared that the county and the broader Nyanza region are ODM zones and will not tolerate opposition, specifically warning against UDA infiltration.

Wanga insisted that any coalition agreement with UDA must include a clear zoning formula that guarantees ODM a fair and respectable number of seats in regions where it has strong support.

Kaluma argued that UDA should know that their negotiations to support Ruto can only be done through ODM.

“I want to tell our friends in UDA, if you think you can have members here in Homa Bay, it will take away votes from the President,” Kaluma warned.

“In fact, if you want to destroy our relationship, try fronting anyone other than ODM here in Homa Bay,” he said.

Already, party officials led by Silas Jakakimba, who is the county branch treasurer, have declared that they will field all candidates from the Governor down to all MCA positions in the county.

But Langata MP Phelix Jalango recently said Jakakimba will be fried by Millie at the ballot and doesn’t see UDA winning the Suba North seat.

Cracks in ODM Homa Bay branch

In Homa Bay, the crack is widening among the party’s elected leaders, with some of them opposing the zoning agenda against their boss’s directives.

Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo is opposing it, saying it undermines ODM dominance and democracy.

Millie has welcomed competition and has challenged her opponents to the ballot.

However, there are fears among some of the elected leaders that they might lose the party ticket should they heed the zoning call.

They claim Wanga has her “preferred” candidates and lineup in the county, which will deny them free and fair nominations.

According to Magwanga, who recently resigned as the Homa Bay Deputy Governor, Wanga already has her own lineup against a number of elected leaders in the county.

By Hope Barbra

The drum of war over political zoning, which threatens to scuttle away the pre-election coalition between the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), is a reality driven by survival instinct.

Political reality is fast dawning among ODM luminaries over the deeper inroads the UDA counterpart has made in their strongholds. Coupled with UDA’s financial might, leaders now fear ODM may lose seats in nearly all of its strongholds to UDA.

The remarks by ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga’s brother, Robert Nyasuna, whom she is grooming to take over the Muhoroni parliamentary seat, opened the doors to how fear, anxiety and panic run deep in the party’s veins.

Nyasuna, speaking during a TV interview, said ODM was fighting for survival from UDA infiltration in ODM strongholds and may be wiped out if zoning was not taken into consideration.

“If UDA was to be allowed to field candidates in our zones, they will first go for our best candidates. With the best candidates, they will easily win,” he said.

Nyasuna said apart from picking the best, UDA will sponsor the candidates against ODM, and this will be a death knell to the party.

“They will give them money, and they will wipe ODM out. I am telling you, they will wipe us out of existence,” he said.

Nyasuna said ODM will lose even in Homa Bay, where his sister is the governor and will be defending her seat against her former deputy Oyugi Magwanga, among others.

“They will wipe us out even in Homa Bay and even in Kisumu. We are now fighting for survival, and that is why zoning is an irreducible minimum demand at the negotiation table,” he said.

Finally, the political reality of a life without Raila Amollo Odinga in the 2027 general election is dawning on the ‘pampered babies’, and now they are clutching to the hope of zoning or perishing.

The ODM faction of Linda Ground lieutenants, who for successive elections relied on Raila’s anointment to win elections, now face a date with destiny.

The demise of Raila has radically changed the political landscape, and the majority who relied on the former ODM party leader for direct nomination have gone into panic mode and now want zoning of ODM strongholds to survive.

The proponents of zoning, who had earlier been lobbying for the Deputy President slot in the ODM-UDA pre-election coalition, have abandoned that debate and have now placed zoning as a priority in the negotiations.

Wanga has declared that Homa Bay and the broader Nyanza region are ODM zones and will not tolerate opposition, specifically warning against UDA infiltration.

Wanga insisted that in any coalition agreement, UDA must include a clear zoning formula that guarantees ODM a fair and respectable number of seats in regions where it has strong support.

“ODM will not be a ‘junior affiliate’ to UDA, and we expect a 50-50 power-sharing structure where ODM controls its traditional strongholds,” she insisted.

Kaluma said: “I want to tell our friends in UDA, if you think you can have members here in Homa Bay, it will take away votes from the President. In fact, if you want to destroy our relationship, try fronting anyone other than ODM here in Homa Bay.”

Alego MP Sam Atandi said there was no negotiation over zoning and will not allow UDA to plant candidates in Nyanza.

“We are not going to allow UDA to plant a candidate here in Muhoroni. All our party strongholds are reserved for ODM, nothing less or more,” he said.

UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar has dismissed ODM’s zoning demands, saying the UDA party will field candidates across the country.

The UDA Secretary General argued that if ODM is confident in its strongholds, it should allow other parties to field candidates in those areas.

“ODM says the Coast is their stronghold; we are telling them the Coast belongs to the people of the Coast, let us compete fairly. And they claim that even if some of us are allowed to vie for seats, we cannot defeat them in their ODM zones. If you have that kind of courage and confidence, then what problem is the issue with us contesting for those seats?” Omar questioned.

Interestingly, a section of Linda Ground members have opposed zoning, saying it stifles democracy and negates the spirit of competition.

Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo has maintained that ODM was the most popular party in the country and the call for zoning was retrogressive and uncalled for.

“There has been a lot of discussion on the issue of zoning. My personal position is that ODM is a popular party. We have declared ODM as a popular and the largest party in the country; how come we demand zoning?” she asked.

She said ODM has managed to successfully front candidates without any formal form of zoning, perhaps maybe a silent agreement like in Nairobi.

“There has never been a need for zoning for ODM. Let us be honest: none of us is Raila Amolo Odinga. We need to listen to the public. The public is keen that we show what we have done for the public. When we start pushing an agenda of zoning, it means we put our personal interest ahead of our constituents,” she said.

Millie said elected leaders should not be scared of competition if they know they have delivered on their mandate.

“If I have worked for my constituency, I should not fear meeting my opponents. So when we talk about zoning, we seem to be seeking favorable treatment. Let us reconsider the issue of zoning,” she said.

By Anderson Ojwang

It is a weekend of double header for the Linda Mwananchi faction of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) as they head to both Vihiga and Kisumu counties for rallies of reconnaissance and a show of might.

For Linda Mwananchi, it will be a rally to showcase might and the battle for Nyanza’s heart, Kisumu city, the political barometer of the region.

But for Linda Ground, the double header is causing panic and confusion with the growing wave and strength of the opponents.

Linda Ground of the ODM party leader Dr Oburu Oginga is already panicking, with the Chairman of the Budget Committee in the National Assembly, Mr Sam Atandi, saying the team was not allowed in Kisumu.

Atandi wrote on his X handle: “No imposter will be allowed into Kisumu. Kisumu city must remain a peaceful city.”

Interestingly, as a sign of panic in the faction, during the Nairobi youth convention, ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga paraded some youths claiming they had defected from Linda Mwananchi to Linda Ground.

Wanga said there were some youths who switched camps but finally have returned to the fold, and we want to welcome them back.

“These were some youths who lost direction. They lost hope and went out of the political lane. But they have realized the party is ODM, and they are back home. Let’s welcome them back,” she said.

One of the youths, Ben Sirkal, said they were in ODM but got confused and went to the other faction but have returned to the party.

“Oburu Odinga is our party leader. That other faction has disrespected our party leader. We have resolved to return to the fold, and we will be here until further notice,” they said.

This Saturday, it will be the first time Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi will be making a return to Western Kenya after his recent attack by goons at a Kisumu restaurant, subsequent admission at Kisumu Aga Khan Hospital, before he was flown to Nairobi’s Karen Hospital.

For the residents of Vihiga, it will be a homecoming for the senator after he narrowly escaped death and his recent sacking as deputy party leader of ODM.

Already, three of the goons who attacked Osotsi have been charged in a Kisumu court and were released on a bond of Sh1 million each, while 14 others have escaped to neighboring countries.

Internal Security Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the government was working with authorities in neighboring countries to have the suspects arrested.

“We will arrest the 14 suspects. They will be the first example to show that violence doesn’t pay,” he said.

For the Kisumu rally, it will be a battle royale over the control of the politics of the lake city after Siaya Governor James Orengo over the weekend in Nakuru declared that he had ousted Senator Oburu Oginga as the party leader.

Orengo, speaking in Nakuru during the Linda Mwananchi rally, claimed that he had ousted Oburu from the seat for failing to steer the party forward and adequately prepare for the 2027 general election.

“We know the Secretary General of ODM is Edwin Sifuna, and because Oburu is unable, now Orengo is the acting party leader of ODM. Thank you,” he said.

Equally, Kisumu will be a turning point in the political path and terrain of Linda Mwananchi as top politicians from Nyanza who have been neutral are expected to show up and align with the movement.

For Embakasi East MP, Babu Owino, a resident of Nyalenda and an alumnus of Kisumu Boys High School, the Sunday Linda Mwananchi rally will be a litmus test for his political grip in the city.

Orengo has for the last one week been holding private and public engagements in Kisumu town and Ahero to mobilize support for the rally.

Kisumu is the political barometer of Nyanza and influences the politics in the region, and with the demise of Raila Amolo Odinga, a leadership vacuum over the control of the city has emerged.

Orengo has a wide network in Kisumu town, having fought for control of the town with the late Raila during his Mageuzi crusades.

Orengo wrote on his social media handles: “Nakuru, you were incredible! The energy was unmatched. Get ready, Kisumu on Sunday the 26th, we’re bringing that same fire. Expect nothing but WADAGI energy. Kisumo WABIRO!”

Osotsi also wrote on his social handle: “All are welcome as the Linda Mwananchi brigade traverses Vihiga County while making stopovers at designated towns and to a mega rally at Mumboha in Luanda Constituency.”

The battle for Kisumu will peak with the Sunday rally, and for Linda Ground, they must move to contain the slump and avoid slipping into political oblivion.

Equally, with the changing political terrain in Nyanza and residents becoming more accommodating to Linda Mwananchi, it is just a matter of time before the majority of sitting MPs cross over.