ODM party leader Oburu Oginga presiding over the party's Parliamentary Group meeting on March 3, 2026./HANDOUT

The high-stakes ODM Parliamentary Group meeting in Nairobi on Tuesday has laid bare the party’s deepening internal rifts after perceived rebel lawmakers made an appearance at the session.

Saboti MP Caleb Amisi and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi—key figures in the “Linda Mwananchi” faction led by embattled ODM SG Edwin Sifuna—attended the meeting at Parliament Buildings, a move that immediately triggered speculation about shifting alliances within the Orange Democratic Movement.

Also present was Kitutu Masaba MP Clive Ombane.

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ODM party leader Oburu Oginga presiding over the party's Parliamentary Group meeting on March 3, 2026./DOUGLAS OKIDDY

The session, presided over by ODMP party leader and Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga, comes amid growing rivalry between two parallel mobilisation drives inside the party: the Linda Mwananchi tour and the competing Linda Ground initiative.

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Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi sitting next to Siaya senator Oburu Oginga during the ODM PG on March 3, 2026./HANDOUT

The Linda Mwanainchi faction has been traversing western Kenya and parts of Nairobi, positioning itself as a grassroots movement aimed at “protecting the voice of the ordinary citizen” within ODM.

ODM party leader Oburu Oginga and Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo during the party's Parliamentary Group meeting on March 3, 2026./DOUGLAS OKIDDY
The group has openly criticised what it views as a softening of opposition politics and resisted cooperation arrangements that could dilute the party’s identity.

On the other side is the Linda Ground campaign, associated with Oburu Odinga and sections of ODM’s traditional leadership.

That camp has focused on consolidating grassroots structures while keeping strategic options open ahead of the 2027 general election. Its backers argue that structured engagement and coalition-building are necessary to strengthen ODM’s national bargaining power.

Kitutu Masaba MP, Clive Ombane (2ND left) sitting next to Saboti MP Caleb Amisi (3RD left) during the Parliamentary Group meeting in the parliament buildings on ,March 3, 2026./HANDOUT

The presence of the rebel legislators at the PG meeting has fueled debate over whether the rival camps are seeking a truce or simply flexing muscle within formal party structures.

PG meetings are critical in shaping the party’s parliamentary agenda and enforcing internal discipline, making attendance politically significant.

ODM party leader during the party's Parliamentary Group meeting on March 3, 2026./DOUGLAS OKIDDY
In recent months, Amisi and Osotsi have used public platforms to question internal party decisions and call for transparency and ideological clarity.

Their Linda Mwananchi tours have drawn attention in ODM strongholds, where debate over the party’s direction has intensified.

Although no disciplinary action has been announced following the meeting, party leadership appears keen to prevent a full-blown split ahead of key events later this year.