Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Oburu Odinga has announced that his homecoming ceremony will be held during the Linda Ground meeting scheduled to take place at Ahidi Grounds in Siaya town.

While speaking to the media on Friday, February 20, 2026, after addressing the Siaya County Assembly, the senator stated that the Linda Ground forum will serve as the platform through which he will officially return to his people in his political backyard as the new party leader of ODM.

Oburu further explained that besides serving as a rally to discuss party unity, the Siaya Linda Ground meeting will also provide an opportunity for residents to welcome him as their party leader.

“The Siaya rally will use it to discus the unity of our party, and it is also meant to welcome me to my people, since i was offered the post of party leader, so I am coming home as the party leader of ODM,” Oburu stated.

He added that he is preparing to lead ODM into negotiations with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA). According to him, that is why they are focused on strengthening the party structures so that when they sit at the negotiation table, they will have strong numbers to give them a solid bargaining position with their UDA counterparts.

Oburu’s ODM leadership

However, Oburu Odinga’s installation as the party leader has drawn criticism from various quarters within ODM. A section of party members led by the embattled ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna has opposed his elevation to the position.

During a recent interview, Sifuna strongly opposed Oburu’s installation, arguing that he unlawfully holds the position of party leader.

He maintained that, according to the ODM constitution, a special National Delegates Conference (NDC) must be convened to elect a party leader, and that the process followed did not meet that threshold.

He further stated that one of the deputy party leaders should have acted in the interim until a substantive party leader is properly elected.

Omanyo slamming Sifuna

Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo, who was recently appointed Secretary-General to replace Sifuna, dismissed his opposition and accused him of hypocrisy.

She questioned how he could now oppose Oburu’s leadership when he was the one who administered the oath of office during Oburu’s swearing-in as party leader.

The developments come at a time when ODM is experiencing internal divisions that have resulted in two parallel forums  the Linda Ground forum led by Oburu Odinga and the Linda Mwananchi forum led by Edwin Sifuna.

Both factions are set to hold rallies on the same weekend, with Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi rally taking place in Kakamega, while Oburu’s Linda Ground meeting will be held in Siaya County.