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.

By Anderson Ojwang

President William Ruto may be forced back to the drawing board and change tact in his pursuit of the 2.1 million Luo Nyanza votes.

President Ruto is banking on the Nyanza votes to jumpstart his 2027 re-election and hopes that, after the formation of the broad-based government with the late Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Amolo Odinga, he will have the Luo votes in his basket.

That is why President Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) mandated him to begin pre-election coalition negotiations with ODM.

Similarly, ODM, under the leadership of Dr. Oburu Oginga, was mandated to begin a pre-election coalition pact with various political formations in the country and has declared that they will first engage with UDA in the talks.

But the team under Linda Ground has walked into serious political roadblocks that threaten to puncture its journey to a pre-election coalition pact with President Ruto.

What appeared to be a simple political deal between President Ruto and ODM party leader Dr. Oburu is fast turning into a political anthill with the emergence of the Linda Mwananchi faction led by Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, Siaya Governor James Orengo, Vihiga Senator Geoffrey Osotsi, Suba South MP Caroli Omondi, among others.

Oburu recently convened the party’s National Governing Council (NGC), which sacked Sifuna and replaced him with Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo.

But Sifuna received a reprieve after the Political Parties Tribunal halted the sacking and gave him relief, leading to a fallout in the party.

Punctured and Wobbling

The Linda Ground wobbles and looks punctured after three successful rallies by the Linda Mwananchi faction in Busia, Kitengela, and Kakamega.

The parallel rallies in Kitengela against Tononoka in Mombasa and Kakamega against Siaya have left Oburu’s faction struggling, while Sifuna’s faction has enjoyed huge, organic, and electric crowds.

Oburu said they will not allow people to pull them back after the party mandated him to embark on negotiations with President Ruto’s UDA.

“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.

But they are already being pulled back by the Linda Mwananchi faction, which enjoys huge support from the masses and party members.

That is why Babu said the Kitengela meeting marked an important moment in the party and defined the two factions.

“Today they have the party, but we have the party members. When they go to State House, do they tell you? They go alone. They are trying to threaten us, but they cannot manage us,” he said.

Orengo capped it by saying that the genuine ODM members were in Kitengela and that those in Mombasa should refund President Ruto his money.

“Watu wa ODM ambao wako Mombasa warudishie Ruto pesa zake. (Those ODM members in Mombasa should refund Ruto his money.) ODM members and leaders are here in Kitengela,” he said.

After the parallel rallies in Tononoka and Kitengela, the ground in Nyanza started to shift, and the first casualty was ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga, who was booed and heckled in Ahero town in Kisumu County and Kendu Bay town in Homa Bay.

The crowd trouble did not stop with Wanga but extended to Siaya during the Linda Ground rally, which was interrupted and left several vehicles destroyed.

The rebelling ground is fast rendering Oburu’s team vulnerable, which could undermine the value of the coalition pact.

The Odinga Family Factor

The division in the Odinga family has sent mixed signals and opened a leadership vacuum not only in the party but also in the community. Raila’s grip and dominance in Luo politics is fast fading, opening the community to new leaders to occupy the vacuum.

The fallout between Dr. Oburu and his younger sister, Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga, and his niece, Raila’s younger daughter Winnie Odinga, has complicated matters.

Both Ruth and Winnie have shown solidarity with Sifuna over Dr. Oburu, swaying the masses toward the Linda Mwananchi faction.

Winnie was against her uncle driving the negotiations, terming them complex and requiring a new team, but Oburu dismissed her, saying he was the brain behind the broad-based government.

These differences and political realignments could have forced Dr. Oburu to hold a meeting with the County Assembly of Siaya to prepare for his own homecoming.

Siaya Speaker George Okode said the meeting was aimed at showing the public that the people of Siaya support Oburu’s appointment as party leader.

“We want to show the world that the people of Siaya are happy with his appointment and that the County Assembly of Siaya has agreed to work with him,” he said.

Wanga recently said Dr. Oburu does not enjoy the respect and fear that Raila had within the party, including from Sifuna and others.

The Faces Behind President Ruto’s Drive

The faces behind the Linda Ground faction of ODM are currently reeling from strong opposition in their political backyards, and leading President Ruto’s campaign in Nyanza may backfire.

In Homa Bay County, for instance, Wanga is facing a strong onslaught from her deputy, Oyugi Magwanga, who enjoys huge support from the area.

In Suba South, a rematch between Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi and Azimio Secretary General Caroli Omondi is in the offing.

In Nyanza, the Babu Owino wave is fast gripping the region and is likely to render Oburu’s faction irrelevant.

Similarly, his lead chargers in the Nyanza UDA brigades have little appeal to the electorate and may not meaningfully help in his political quest.

That is why President Ruto may be forced to go directly to the electorate, relying on the weight of his development record to seek their votes.

By Anderson Ojwang

Kakamega, Linda Mwananchi rally marked a new political dispensation in the country. The meeting opened a new chapter in the country’s political landscape. It was a resolve, resoluteness and resilience by the crowd and the leaders that will go a long way to reshape the political terrain of this country.

But in Siaya, the party leader Dr Oburu Oginga and his faction of Linda Ground, during his homecoming rally asked the Linda Mwananchi faction to leave the party.

“Jo Siaya, Alego is my maternal uncle’s home. I am happy with the reception and today is historic for me and the party ODM. Let me ask, where does the other faction want to take us to? We have gathered here in Siaya as the community of ODM. We want the unity of the party. We are not expelling anyone from the party but anyone who feels they are uncomfortable with us can leave if they like.

Anybody who is uncomfortable can leave if they like. We are entering into negotiations with President William Ruto United Democratic Alliance (UDA). We are going to do our own thing and if you are not part of us please do your own thing and allow us to do our own thing. Leave us alone. Azimio died the day ODM left. We had not formalised. We have formalised our exit and it will be dead. We have been in the opposition but now we are going to government,” he said.

Back in Kakamega, when Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna rose to speak, he was met with plumes of teargas that were lobbed next to the main dais and into the crowd.

Sifuna braved and defied the smoke of teargas plumes, stood tall and was joined by other leaders while the crowd did not scatter. The crowd and the team broke into song, “hatutarudi nyuma hata wakitupiga na teargas” (We will not move even if they teargas us).

The crowd did not move an inch; the resolve was so strong that the discharge of the teargas did not move them.

Sifuna announced that the meeting would proceed and stood in the thick cloud of teargas and asked the crowd to stand their ground and not to respond by throwing stones at the police.

“Aah, hatutoroki leo (We are not moving today). Sima hiyo kitu mkutano iendelee (Extinguish the teargas. The meeting must continue. We are not moving), hatutoroki leo. Sima hiyo kitu. Funika na jacket (Cover it with a jacket). Mkutano lazima iendelee… haiwezekani, piga ingine kama uko nayo (You can throw another one but we are not budging). Let the leaders sit down, hatutarudi nyuma,” he said.

Sifuna said Kakamega was home and that they would not engage police in battle but would remain peaceful and the meeting proceeded without any hitch.

“I want to tell you why I say I am home. Behind me here is Kakamega Township Primary School, that is where I went to school. They said we would not gain entry to Kakamega, they threatened, intimidated and followed us but we are here,” he said.

In Kakamega, all the MPs from the county gave the rally a wide berth after the recent meeting with President William Ruto. The absence of the MPs presented Sifuna, Vihiga Senator Geoffrey Osotsi among others with an opportunity to emerge as the new kids on the block in the community political landscape.

Butere MP Tindi Mwale who spoke at Linda Ground in Siaya said the Luhya community were still in ODM and behind the party leader Dr Oburu Oginga.

“I hear some people are holding another rally in Kakamega. The true ODM is here and we as Luhya community are fully behind Dr Oburu Oginga.”

Interestingly, the Siaya meeting witnessed unending crowd trouble both at the main dais and outside the facility, with ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga forced to cut her speech short until the situation was restored.

Wanga said, “Ignore what is happening in the background. DJ give us that power song,” as she waited for order to be restored.

But Embakasi East MP Babu Owino said the Linda Mwananchi faction has lost plot and should instead hand over the party apparatus to them.

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.

Sifuna said despite attempts to intimidate and scuttle the Saturday meeting, he was happy that it was a success.

He wrote on his X handle, “By God’s grace and your prayers the Linda Mwananchi team arrived safely in Nairobi. We thank all of you who showed up and stood with us to beat all the traps of the enemy….”

Oburu has been enraged by Sifuna’s team opposing the proposed pre-election coalition pact with President Ruto and this culminated in his sacking, but he was reinstated by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal.

After the failed sacking, the two factions have been on a popularity contest, holding a series of rallies in the country.

By Anderson Ojwang

Suba South MP Caroli Omondi has sensationally claimed that the late Raila Amolo Odinga was betrayed while in Dubai over the formation of the broad-based government.

Caroli, in a recent TV interview, claimed that while Raila was in Dubai, some of his lieutenants joined the government without his blessings.

“Let me tell you, in the fullness of time, we will bring some things out that will surprise people. There are people who claim they are in the broad-based government because of Raila.

They went into the broad-based government against Raila’s wishes when he was in Dubai, when he directed that they should not join the broad-based arrangement. They know how they ended up there,” he said.

Caroli said Raila was infuriated and disappointed, and that when he returned to the country, he avoided some of those leaders.

“When Raila came back, he refused to even meet them at the airport. He got into the airside, got into his car, drove away, and disappeared.

Raila issued a statement that they went in their personal capacity. People didn’t understand what Baba was saying,” he said.

Caroli said some of those leaders should not pretend and lie to the public that they were in good books with Raila before his death and should be honest about their relationship.

“Some of them, by the time Baba was dying, they were not on talking terms. When they are talking to us, they should know that we are not stupid. There is a way they should talk to us.

They should not talk to us with useless statements that we are in the broad-based government for development. I am asking them, yes, it is true, what development has been taken to Luo land under this broad-based arrangement under Sh50b, Sh50m cumulatively added by none other than the Chairman of Budget at the Assembly, Sam Atandi, while one hospital is being built in Uasin Gishu at Sh50b?” he said.

Caroli expressed concern that Raila’s pet project, the Sondu-Koin Dam valued at Sh25 billion, has stalled and nobody is following it up.

“Baba’s pet project was Sondu-Koin Dam, which is Sh25b. That is what he wanted the broad-based government to do, but it has not been done. Nobody is pursuing it.

We are being told about development while the contractor doing my roads has three pending certificates. The CS John Mbadi for Treasury is from my constituency. Why can’t they pay the bills so that the works can go on smoothly? You cannot take a whole community for a ride simply because of small handouts,” he said.

Recently, ODM party leader Dr. Oburu Oginga Oburu opened the lid of the can by declaring that he has been the one chairing all the broad-based meetings between Raila and President William Ruto, which probably makes him the brainchild and the chief negotiator in the arrangement.

Oburu said he is the one who has been chairing all the broad-based arrangements between Ruto and the late Raila.

“Those who are saying Oburu does not talk are talking nonsense. In this broad-based arrangement, I want to assure those who are saying that it was only Raila who could