Busia Woman Representative and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party acting secretary general Catherine Omanyo has dismissed the recent Linda Mwananchi faction rally held in Machakos on Sunday, May 31, 2026, describing it as a gathering of disgruntled political outfits seeking relevance through their association with the party.

Speaking during an interview with K24 TV on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, the acting secretary general has said that the real ODM party rally was the event held at Kirembe Grounds in Kisumu County on Sunday, May 31, 2026. She has maintained that the genuine supporters of ODM leader and late party leader Raila Odinga were in Kisumu and not at the parallel political gathering in Machakos.

“What you saw in Machakos was something I can define as a coalition of very many disgruntled little parties trying to cling on to ODM to maybe get some clout, but the real ODM was on Sunday at Kirembe grounds in Kisumu County,” Omanyo said.

According to the outspoken legislator, leaders claiming to champion Raila’s ideals should have attended the Kisumu event if they genuinely identified with the ODM leader’s political philosophy and legacy.

“If they truly are children of Baba and they want to defend what Raila stood for, they could have been at Kirembe Ground and not Machakos,” Omanyo said.

The lawmaker argued that the Machakos rally did not reflect the strength or direction of ODM but rather represented smaller political groups attempting to benefit from the party’s influence and popularity.

Deepening wrangles within ODM

Omanyo’s remarks come amid growing political contestation within sections of the opposition, with rival camps seeking to position themselves as the true custodians of Raila Odinga’s political ideals and the future direction of ODM.

Her sentiments underscore the deepening divisions within opposition ranks as various factions compete for influence ahead of the 2027 General Election.

A political firestorm was on the horizon as Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) rival factions, Linda Mwananchi and Linda Ground, staged parallel rallies on May 31, 2026.

ODM’s parallel rallies

The Linda Ground faction of the party held their rally, led by the party leader Oburu Odinga, at Kirembe Stadium in Kisumu County.

On the other hand, the Linda Mwananchi faction, led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Siaya Governor James Orengo, pulled a huge crowd in Machakos County in what was seen as a supremacy battle between the two factions of the party.

The Linda Mwananchi faction is against the re-election of William Ruto as president in 2027, while the Linda Ground faction advocates for his re-election amid talks for coalition agreements ahead of the 2027 elections