Suba South Member of Parliament (MP) Caroli Omondi has laid out firm conditions under which the Linda Mwananchi faction would consider any engagement with the Linda Ground camp, insisting that clear political realignments must first take place before any dialogue can happen.

In an interview with a local radio station on the current tension within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) on Thursday, May 7, 2026, Omondi confirmed that the Linda Ground had not made any official communication to the Linda Mwananchi on any intended engagements.

“First of all, they haven’t officially communicated to us,” Omondi said.

The lawmaker then explained three prerequisites that the Linda Ground faction of the ODM should meet before any sort of engagement.

“First, they have not officially communicated to us that something strange is happening in ODM… The point is this: if anybody expects us to engage with them from that other side, we won’t. Rule number one, they must disengage from UDA; number two, they must withdraw the letter they issued that they will exit the Azimio Coalition; and number three, they must open the delegates’ conference for competitive elections of party officials. They must,” he added.

Omondi has noted that if these conditions are not fulfilled, any political involvement will be futile and out of sync with the stance of the Linda Mwananchi faction.

Omondi also indicated that the Linda Mwananchi camp is not involved in any political arrangement to support a broad-based government, keeping him away from any discussions of that nature. He said that he was sure his supporters understood that he was ready for anything, but that would not be his game when it came to meeting the other people and supporting them on a broad base.

“I want to tell our supporters that we are fully prepared for any eventuality, but engaging with the other people to support broad-based ones will not be our game. We are not there,” Omondi added.

Arati’s call for unity

Omondi’s statement comes days after the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Deputy Party Leader Simba Arati addressed the ongoing internal rifts within the party, stating that he has initiated discussions aimed at reconciling members who hold differing ideological views.

Speaking in Busia County on Saturday, January 17, 2026, Arati revealed that his outreach mission will target the supposed rebels, such as embattled Secretary General Edwin Sifuna and the youthful faction comprising Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, among others.

“Do not worry about the two or three members who are speaking a different tune. We agree we have freedom of speech, but they have to accept the party leadership,” Arati said.

“I will call them, and we will sit down with them, from Edwin Sifuna to our Vihiga senator, who has no problems. He only missed this event because he was on other travels. We will also call and reach out to the youthful leaders such as Babu Owino,” he added.