Mumias East Constituency Member of Parliament Peter Salasya has said that the Edwin Sifuna-led rally in Kitengela that turned chaotic on Sunday, February 15, 2026, after police fired teargas and shots in the air to disperse the crowd, was stage-managed and funded by the government.

Taking it to his social media X platform on the night of Sunday, February 15, 2026, Sifuna has dismissed the Sifuna-led ODM faction as set by the government to confuse the people that the ODM party is in splits. According to the lawmaker, the attack by the police after the speech by the leaders is a clear indication that the meeting was not anti-government.

“Kitengela analyses why people are teargassed for them to run for their lives after they finish their speeches so that Kenyans believe it’s an anti-government movement yet are being oiled by the same government. Mchezo wa tauni wakora wao,” Salasya noted.

ODM factions hold parallel rallies

The event, which was part of the Linda Mwananchi tour, was organised by a faction of opposition leaders, led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino. The meeting drew thousands of mostly young supporters to the town in Kajiado County.

Police lobbed teargas canisters into the crowd, forcing people to scatter. Reports indicate police also fired shots in the air and damaged the sound system and dais, abruptly ending the rally.

The incident highlights the deep-rooted divisions within the ODM Party. Sifuna and allies have been opposing an emerging coalition between ODM and the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ahead of the 2027 elections.

This move has sparked a debate about the unity of the Orange Democratic Party, days after the party’s National Executive Council decided to oust Edwin Sifuna as the secretary general of the party, a move that was stopped by the Political Tribunals court.

ODM faction led by the Party Leader Oburu Odinga held a parallel rally on Tononoka grounds in Mombasa County