A major political confrontation is brewing in Nyanza as two rival ODM factions, the Linda Ground led by Oburu Oginga and Edwin Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi, prepare to hold parallel rallies on May 31 in Kisumu and Homa Bay counties.
The simultaneous events come at a time when the two factions are jostling to control the political base once firmly under the influence of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
In Kisumu, the Oburu Camp is organizing a high-profile convention expected to draw senior ODM loyalists and grassroots delegates across Luo Nyanza counties.
The meeting is being billed as a strategic forum by Dr. Oburu Oginga to chart the party’s future direction in the post-Raila era and reaffirm Kisumu’s position as the symbolic heart of ODM and Luo politics.
Meanwhile, in neighboring Homa Bay County, the Sifuna Camp is planning a competing mass gathering on the same day. The Homa Bay event by the Linda Mwananchi brigade is being framed as a renewal rally to energize the party’s youth base and redefine its message ahead of 2027.
The decision to hold the two events concurrently lays bare the open power struggle within ODM. The twin rallies reflect a growing contest between the party’s old guard, who emphasize loyalty to Raila’s legacy and working with President Ruto, and emerging young ODM figures pushing for generational change within the party. The Linda Mwananchi group is against ODM’s alliance with UDA.
The dueling rallies could fracture ODM’s traditional unity in Nyanza, a region that has long served as the party’s political fortress. Party insiders, however, insist that internal competition is healthy and the two rallies could help rejuvenate ODM’s grassroots network in Nyanza.
The May 31 rallies are expected to draw thousands of supporters, setting the stage for one of the most closely watched political showdowns in Nyanza, post Raila Odinga who was the glue holding ODM together.
