By Anderson Ojwang
Linda Mwananchi faction of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is gaining momentum in the country’s current political matrix after it caused a political earthquake in Mt Kenya.
Viewed as an outsider in Mt Kenya’s political matrix and dispensation, the Linda Mwananchi rally in Thika, Kiambu County, was a testimonial.
For the Siaya Governor James Orengo, ODM Secretary Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino-led faction, the wing is fast coming of age to claim political steak and stake in the country.
For naysayers, the faction seems to have run away with the masses and left Linda Ground of Dr Oburu Oginga limping to the grave and holding the instrument.
And Murang’a Governor Irungu Kangata’s presence at the rally after he recently ditched President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) was a political earthquake in the current dispensation.
Linda Mwananchi is writing their own political story and venturing into regions viewed as strongholds of other political formations in the region.
The mountain opened and roared when Kangata mentioned Sifuna and Babu’s names. It vibrated, and Kenya shook. A new sense and political course was birthed.
Kangata
Kangata whipped the crowd, saying he had attended the rally because the movement was uniting Kenyans for a common purpose.
“I have come here for a reason. I know Kenya is for us all, regardless of your tribe. You did not apply to be born in a particular community. We are one family brought together by a common desire – a united Kenya,” he said.
He said Linda Mwananchi was the movement which has brought Kenyans together, led by Sifuna, Babu, and Orengo.
“I look at the manifesto for the country. This country is overtaxing companies, leading to unemployment in Thika and every part of the country. Unemployment is a serious cancer in this country which we must tackle,” he said.
He took a swipe at the government for failing to prioritise education and health sectors and only concentrating on the construction of houses.
“We are prioritising education and health sectors, and currently we have a serious crisis. The government is only constructing houses,” he said.
The stranger in the bedroom
The successful Linda Mwananchi rally in the mountain could have rattled the self-declared leader of the region, Rigathi Gachagua.
The strangers in the bedroom could have exposed the potential of the region opening up to other political formations and not Rigathi alone.
Coming after the declaration of a 45-day conclave to come up with a united opposition presidential candidate, the rally’s success was the least Wamunyoro expected.
Orengo
Orengo, the self-declared people’s party leader, said his return to Mt Kenya was a testimonial and held a special place in his heart.
“Today, I return to the mountain not as a visitor, but as one who was born in Kiganjo, Nyeri, many years ago. Mt Kenya is everything. The Thika declaration will redefine the country’s politics,” he said.
He maintained that Kenyans were speaking and have spoken, and that President William Ruto was losing the support of the public.
“Kasongo has no votes. Our work is to reorganise. I want us to unite. I am the longest-serving politician in Kenya, and I will work towards the unity of Kenyans. We shall succeed. Here, Kenya’s only problem is Kasongo. I want to thank former President Uhuru Kenyatta for supporting the late Raila Odinga. If you are not part of the problem, you must be part of the solution,” he said.
Doubters
Political activist Pauline Njoroge said they ignored the advice to hold meetings at market stopovers to get the crowd, but they stuck with the ground despite the distance.
“When we settled on these grounds in Thika, some people from the region advised against it. They argued that the venue was a little far from where people naturally congregate, and that unless we organised transport, few would walk. They advised us to hold stopovers in busy markets, bus stops, and other populated areas where crowds are readily available,” she said.
Njoroge said that was the known script of campaigning in Thika, and they rewrote the story of the region’s politics.
“According to them, that is how every politician campaigns in Thika. But as the organising team, we put our foot down. We said, ‘Sisi ndio Sifuna,’ and we were going to do things differently. We believed that where there is strong conviction, people would walk whatever distance to see leaders who represent their hopes and aspirations,” she said.
She said they did not need to be ferried or paid to show up; they would just show up in their numbers.
“The grounds did not even have an official name. But because they sit opposite Kivulini Estate, we named them Kivulini Grounds, and from now on, that is what they shall be called. And the people did not disappoint. Even before we arrived from church, the grounds were already full. Many people also walked with us all the way from town,” she said.
She said the mountain shook, and indeed the people made the leaders of the day.
“As I said yesterday, it is beautiful to watch the making of Edwin Sifuna into a national phenomenon. Together with the incoming Governor of Nairobi, Babu Owino, Orengo, Osotsi, and the entire Linda Mwananchi team, a formidable movement is taking shape and sweeping across the country. Na jana, tuliguza murima!” she said.
The train is rocking every part of the country, and more passengers are likely to board ahead of the 2027 elections.
