By Anderson Ojwang
Kakamega, Linda Mwananchi rally marked a new political dispensation in the country. The meeting opened a new chapter in the country’s political landscape. It was a resolve, resoluteness and resilience by the crowd and the leaders that will go a long way to reshape the political terrain of this country.
But in Siaya, the party leader Dr Oburu Oginga and his faction of Linda Ground, during his homecoming rally asked the Linda Mwananchi faction to leave the party.
“Jo Siaya, Alego is my maternal uncle’s home. I am happy with the reception and today is historic for me and the party ODM. Let me ask, where does the other faction want to take us to? We have gathered here in Siaya as the community of ODM. We want the unity of the party. We are not expelling anyone from the party but anyone who feels they are uncomfortable with us can leave if they like.
Anybody who is uncomfortable can leave if they like. We are entering into negotiations with President William Ruto United Democratic Alliance (UDA). We are going to do our own thing and if you are not part of us please do your own thing and allow us to do our own thing. Leave us alone. Azimio died the day ODM left. We had not formalised. We have formalised our exit and it will be dead. We have been in the opposition but now we are going to government,” he said.
Back in Kakamega, when Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna rose to speak, he was met with plumes of teargas that were lobbed next to the main dais and into the crowd.
Sifuna braved and defied the smoke of teargas plumes, stood tall and was joined by other leaders while the crowd did not scatter. The crowd and the team broke into song, “hatutarudi nyuma hata wakitupiga na teargas” (We will not move even if they teargas us).
The crowd did not move an inch; the resolve was so strong that the discharge of the teargas did not move them.
Sifuna announced that the meeting would proceed and stood in the thick cloud of teargas and asked the crowd to stand their ground and not to respond by throwing stones at the police.
“Aah, hatutoroki leo (We are not moving today). Sima hiyo kitu mkutano iendelee (Extinguish the teargas. The meeting must continue. We are not moving), hatutoroki leo. Sima hiyo kitu. Funika na jacket (Cover it with a jacket). Mkutano lazima iendelee… haiwezekani, piga ingine kama uko nayo (You can throw another one but we are not budging). Let the leaders sit down, hatutarudi nyuma,” he said.
Sifuna said Kakamega was home and that they would not engage police in battle but would remain peaceful and the meeting proceeded without any hitch.
“I want to tell you why I say I am home. Behind me here is Kakamega Township Primary School, that is where I went to school. They said we would not gain entry to Kakamega, they threatened, intimidated and followed us but we are here,” he said.
In Kakamega, all the MPs from the county gave the rally a wide berth after the recent meeting with President William Ruto. The absence of the MPs presented Sifuna, Vihiga Senator Geoffrey Osotsi among others with an opportunity to emerge as the new kids on the block in the community political landscape.
Butere MP Tindi Mwale who spoke at Linda Ground in Siaya said the Luhya community were still in ODM and behind the party leader Dr Oburu Oginga.
“I hear some people are holding another rally in Kakamega. The true ODM is here and we as Luhya community are fully behind Dr Oburu Oginga.”
Interestingly, the Siaya meeting witnessed unending crowd trouble both at the main dais and outside the facility, with ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga forced to cut her speech short until the situation was restored.
Wanga said, “Ignore what is happening in the background. DJ give us that power song,” as she waited for order to be restored.
But Embakasi East MP Babu Owino said the Linda Mwananchi faction has lost plot and should instead hand over the party apparatus to them.
Siaya Governor James Orengo said the spirit of the Enigma, the late Raila Amolo Odinga, has reincarnated in the group.
“This thing is huge. It is a tsunami. It is unstoppable. No force on earth is going to stand in our way. Rest assured with their machinations this meeting is going to take place, just like they tried in Kitengela and the meeting went on.
They better be prepared for this huge movement of the people and by the people,” he said.
Sifuna said despite attempts to intimidate and scuttle the Saturday meeting, he was happy that it was a success.
He wrote on his X handle, “By God’s grace and your prayers the Linda Mwananchi team arrived safely in Nairobi. We thank all of you who showed up and stood with us to beat all the traps of the enemy….”
Oburu has been enraged by Sifuna’s team opposing the proposed pre-election coalition pact with President Ruto and this culminated in his sacking, but he was reinstated by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal.
After the failed sacking, the two factions have been on a popularity contest, holding a series of rallies in the country.