Sifuna-led ODM faction pull massive crowd in Siaya, en route to Busia

By , February 8, 2026

The Linda Mwananchi faction, led by embattled Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, was met by a huge crowd in Ugunja, Siaya County, while en route to Busia for a function on Sunday, February 8, 2026.

The crowd forced the Sifuna-led team to stop and acknowledge greetings from Ugunja locals as they headed to Busia for their separate party event.

Edwin Sifuna led Linda Mwanachi team blocked by Ugunja locals while heading to Busia. PHOTO//https://web.facebook.com/babuowinongili

The Linda Mwananchi team was led by Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, Siaya Governor James Orengo, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino.

The Linda Mwananchi group is made up of rebel leaders within ODM who oppose the party’s direction of entering into a pact with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), as proposed by the Orange Democratic Movement’s Central Management Committee (CMC).

Edwin Sifuna leading ODM rebel leaders during a church service in Kawangware on Sunday, January 25, 2025. PHOTO//https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100044525912485
Edwin Sifuna leading ODM rebel leaders during a church service in Kawangware on Sunday, January 25, 2025. PHOTO/https://www.facebook.com/EdwinWSifuna

The ODM’s Central Management Committee tasked party leader Oburu Odinga with initiating structured pre-coalition talks with the UDA party as part of their preparedness.

The group broke away from the main ODM faction led by Oburu Odinga, who has been spearheading a separate party forum dubbed ODM Linda Ground, aimed at collecting views from across the nation on whether the Orange Party should enter into a pact with UDA.

The Linda Ground forums have come under heavy criticism from Edwin Sifuna, who claims they are drawing funds from elsewhere and not from the party coffers, noting that the last money withdrawn from party accounts was during the ODM at 20 celebrations in Mombasa.

The Linda Mwananchi forum first held its sittings at a church in Kangemi, Nairobi, where members took the opportunity to trade political blows with opponents aligned to the Oburu-led ODM Linda Ground forum, who were holding their own party meeting in Kisii.

ODM wrangles

New ODM Party Leader Oburu Odinga at a past ODM event.PHOTO/@TheODMparty/X

A section of these leaders is also opposed to Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga being at the helm of the party. Babu Owino has, on many occasions, called for the removal of the current party leader, saying that he is the one who should be the party leader and not Oburu.

He called for the party’s National Delegates Conference (NDC) to be convened so that he could be declared the party leader.

He said that after the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, he is the one who should have taken over the party leadership, using the analogy of Moses, who, upon his exit, left the role of leading the Israelites to Canaan to Joshua, who was younger, and not his agemate Aaron.

Amisi’s reservations

Caleb Amisi has also come out to differ with the installation of Oburu Odinga as the party head, saying that he is at the helm illegally. According to him, the party leader is only elected through the party’s National Delegates Conference (NDC) and not appointed, as was the case.

Siaya Governor James Orengo, who is critical and totally opposed to the party’s move to form a pact with UDA, has argued that the Orange Party, which has been in existence for over two decades, risks being reduced into a Luo party or a regional outfit, washing away the national outlook the late Raila Odinga gave it for the 20 years since its inception in 2005.

Osotsi, on his part, has opposed the party’s haste to enter into a coalition agreement with the UDA party, stating that what they should have championed instead is the 10-point agenda that their late party leader was passionate about, which even formed the basis of his agreement with President William Ruto.

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