Sifuna, Orengo, Babu Owino's ODM Faction Unveils Linda Mwananchi Tours as Party Cracks Widen

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is once again at a crossroads.

The unveiling of the “Linda Mwananchi Tour” by a faction allied to Secretary General Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino marks a new chapter in the party’s internal contest for control and ideological direction.

The tour, set to kick off in Busia County, is being billed as a grassroots mobilisation drive aimed at reconnecting with the ordinary citizen, the mwananchi. However, beneath the surface lies a deeper struggle for the soul of ODM in the post-Raila Odinga era.

The Sifuna-led “Linda Mwananchi Tour” is not the first of its kind.

Earlier, a parallel initiative under the same banner, ''Linda Ground Movement'' was launched by Oburu Oginga, the elder brother of the late Raila Odinga. Oburu’s version, backed by long-time party loyalists and those allied to the broad-based government, seeks to forge an allaince with the ruling UDA for a 2027 collaboration.

In contrast, the Sifuna-Babu faction’s tour represents a generational shift — a younger, more assertive wing of ODM seeking to redefine the party’s message to be pro-young and pro-the people. The group, against ODM's working relationship with UDA.

The current divisions trace their roots to the vacuum left after Raila Odinga’s death, which ended an era of charismatic, unifying leadership within ODM.

For decades, Raila’s personal authority held together a coalition of diverse interests. Reformists, trade unionists, youth activists, and regional power brokers. His passing in October 2025 exposed long-simmering tensions over succession, ideology, and strategy within ODM. A part he has led since 2005.

The immediate aftermath saw competing factions emerge: one led by Oburu Oginga and long-serving party stalwarts advocating continuity and loyalty to Raila’s legacy, and another led by younger leaders like Sifuna and Babu Owino pushing for a renewal andjostling for space within ODM.

The absence of a clear succession plan by the late Raila Odinga, coupled with ODM’s ongoing negotiations with the ruling UDA party over a potential coalition framework, has only deepened mistrust and factionalism.

The Political Stakes Ahead of 2027

As ODM heads toward the 2027 general election, the stakes could not be higher.

The party faces the dual challenge of maintaining relevance in national politics while managing internal dissent.

The Sifuna-Babu faction’s opposition to the proposed UDA-ODM  stems from fear that such an alliance would dilute ODM’s identity and alienate its traditional bases across the country.

Meanwhile, the Oburu-led faction argues that a strategic partnership with UDA is essential for survival, post-Raila, as the party departs from ''Opposition politics'' to working with the government of the day. The result is a party torn between pragmatism and principle. Between legacy and reinvention.

The Busia Launch

The choice of Busia as the launch site for the Sifuna faction’s “Linda Mwananchi Tour” is symbolic.

Busia, a border county with deep ODM roots, has historically been a stronghold of Raila Odinga's reformist politics and a gateway for the party’s Western Kenya base. By starting there, the Sifuna faction lays bare its intent to reclaim ODM’s grassroots energy. The tours seek to reassert the party's independence from 'elite-driven' political deals.

The lineup of attendees  include Governor James Orengo, Senators Edwin Sifuna, Richard Onyonka, Godfrey Osotsi, and Erick Okong’o Mogeni, alongside MPs Babu Owino, Caleb Amisi, and others. Their message is clear: ODM must return to the people, not the boardrooms.

The Future of ODM

The emergence of two competing “Linda Mwananchi” movements encapsulates the current existential crisis facing ODM.

Without Raila Odinga’s unifying presence, the party risks fragmentation along generational, ideological, and regional lines. The coming months will test whether ODM can reinvent itself as a modern, issue-based political movement or whether it will succumb to the centrifugal forces tearing it apart.

As the 2027 elections approach, ODM’s internal coherence will determine not only its electoral fortunes but also the broader trajectory of Kenya’s opposition politics.