Oburu, Sifuna Teams to Stage Parallel Rallies in Luo Nyanza on Same Day
A political showdown is looming in Luo Nyanza as the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) rival camps, Linda Mwananchi and Linda Ground, plan parallel rallieson May 31, 2026.
The two factions are planning separate rallies in the Lake region, deepening the battle for control of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s traditional support bases.
ODM Party leader Oburu Oginga is planning a major rally in Kisumu, while the rival camp aligned to embattled Secretary General Edwin Sifuna will hold a separate political gathering in neighbouring Homa Bay on the same day.
The parallel events are expected to demonstrate the political strength and influence each faction holds across the vote-rich Nyanza region.
The meetings come at a time when Sifuna is being positioned as the most formidable opposition presidential flagbearer.
Some analysts have predicted that Sifuna, as a political protégé of Raila, can easily win substantial votes in Raila’s support bases across the country.
Kisumu Central MP Joshua Oron, who will host the planned ODM rally, confirmed that the Oburu team will be in Kisumu on May 31 for what he termed an “earthshaking rally”.
“Kisumu will be lit. We will start activation soon,” he added.
Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, a key member of Linda Mwananchi, neither confirmed nor denied their next stop but stated that Homa Bay was a key priority for the group.
“Homa Bay is one of the priority areas. It is a priority area to go to. We have been in Kisumu, so we also need to go to another part of Nyanza,” Osotsi told the Star by phone.
The former ODM deputy party leader said they were scheduled to meet on Wednesday to finalise plans for the coming rallies.
“We are having a meeting tomorrow (Wednesday) that will make that decision,” he said.
The battle for Raila’s Nyanza base comes at a delicate moment for President William Ruto, who is increasingly banking on gaining a foothold in Luo Nyanza as part of his re-election calculations.
Over the weekend, ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga declared that her side would organise the “mother of all rallies” in Kisumu to prove which faction commands greater support in the lakeside city, widely regarded as ODM’s political nerve centre.
“They (Linda Mwananchi) have been boasting about their recent Kisumu rally. I want to tell you we are coming to Kisumu to show the whole world how strong ODM is in Kisumu,” Wanga said in Nyando.
Her remarks appeared to directly respond to the Linda Mwananchi rally held in Kisumu on April 29, which drew huge crowds and was interpreted by political observers as a show of force by the Sifuna-led camp.
Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo also dismissed the recent Linda Mwananchi rally in Kisumu, insisting that the region remains a stronghold of the Orange Democratic Movement and cannot be swayed by rival political formations.