The rise of Sifuna: Was push to remove him a miscalculation?

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna's Linda Wananchi movement has been gaining traction, pulling even bigger crowds after ODM moved to remove him as Secretary General over “indiscipline.”

At the weekend, huge crowds thronged Kitengela as Sifuna addressed supporters in what turned into a powerful show of grassroots backing.

Thousands lined the streets and packed the rally venue, chanting party slogans and waving orange flags in a clear display of solidarity following recent attempts to push him out of office.

The enthusiastic turnout was widely interpreted as a statement from rank-and-file members that they stand firmly behind him.

Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi seized the momentum to announce what he termed the “mother of all rallies” scheduled for Kakamega this weekend. He urged members across Western Kenya to turn out in large numbers, saying the event would send an unmistakable message about Sifuna’s standing in ODM.

Sifuna has declared that no amount of intimidation or political threats will force him to retreat from criticising the government.

“Even if they want, they can hunt us down, scheme against us but we will not stop speaking the truth to protect Kenyans from injustices of the government, the corruption, abductions and extrajudicial killings,” he stated.

Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai downplayed the crowd that was witnessed in Kitengela, saying it means nothing.

He said the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga had even bigger crowds but did not become president.

“Don’t scare us with crowds. Raila gave us the biggest crowds for five elections. If crowds made anyone President, Raila would be President five times,” he said.

Political and policy expert Odoyo Owidi said Sifuna went to Kitengela because of its large population, as he cannot attract such a crowd elsewhere

“Do not be cheated with this crowd you saw in Kitengela, this is something they copied from Raila Odinga, when you want to have a crowd, you go to a highly populated area,” Owidi said.

After the rally in Kitengela, Sifuna was full of praise for the people who attended.

“Thank you Kitengela. Inspite of all the harassment, intimidation and violence from this morning you showed up. They first destroyed our dais and sound equipment in the morning, the state goons have now teargassed a peaceful assembly and brought it to an abrupt end. We shall not relent,” he posted on X.

Suba South MP Caroli Omondi said the Kitengela meeting was a Gen-Z rally and they were mere guests.

And you could clearly see, even the civil society were also very involved

It was to defend Baba’s legacy and Sifuna became the symbol of that

Omondi added that the rally was broader than we expected because a lot of people came

For those who feel very strongly the desire to join William Ruto, I think the best is for them to resign from ODM and move to UDA because the majority of ODM supporters do not want to go that way.

It is because they can clearly see that move is breaking Baba’s legacy in terms of coalitions he built because it has become a Luo affair

Omondi said the vast majority of Baba’s network do not want to move in that direction, they want to remain with their traditional allies and negotiate another pathway to power

Even so, ODM party leader Oburu Odinga has dismissed claims that the embattled secretary general of the party, Edwin Sifuna, was chased away from the party.

Speaking during a church service at Shalom Miracle Church in Makupa, Mombasa, on Sunday, February 15, Oburu clarified that Sifuna was only ousted from the position of the secretary general but remained an active member of ODM.

He further noted that Sifuna was just punished for indiscipline in the party, noting that ODM must have discipline, and those who fail to follow the rules must be disciplined.

"There must be some example of discipline. Somebody must feel some little pain of being disciplined so that the party can continue to be united,” Oburu said.

Sifuna went to court to block his ouster, and the high court granted him a reserved order blocking the party from gazetting his ouster until his petition is heard and determined.

As the “mother of all rallies” in Kakamega approaches, the political question lingers, were those pushing for Sifuna’s removal out of touch with the party base?

The Kitengela crowds suggest that at least a section of ODM supporters see him not as a liability, but as a voice articulating their frustrations and aspirations.

Whether that momentum translates into lasting influence within the party hierarchy remains to be seen.

Osotsi has maintained that he declined to join the government in order to remain aligned with citizens.

He has affirmed that Sifuna’s removal would not succeed. “Even Mama Ida has said Sifuna is not going anywhere,” he said, questioning why the ODM National Executive Council had not considered removing him from his position as Deputy Party Leader.

“We are in ODM to stay, they are the ones who will leave,” Osotsi added.