A faction of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leaders allied to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has announced the launch of the Linda Mwananchi Tours, a nationwide grassroots engagement initiative set to begin in Busia County on Sunday.
The tour will be spearheaded by Sifuna, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, and other like-minded ODM leaders, with the Busia stop expected to draw several high-profile guests, including Siaya Governor James Orengo.
Organisers say the initiative is designed to engage ordinary Kenyans directly on critical issues such as the high cost of living, governance, accountability, and the country’s political direction ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Branded “Linda Mwananchi”—loosely translated as Protect the Citizen—the tour positions itself as people-centred, prioritising wananchi concerns over elite political rhetoric.
Leaders behind the initiative say they want to listen, document citizens’ grievances, and push those concerns into national and county-level discourse.
Beyond public engagement, the tour is also seen as a strategic political move. With strong urban support bases, particularly in Nairobi, Sifuna and Owino are seeking to maintain political visibility and influence as party realignments and early manoeuvring for 2027 intensify.
The initiative comes amid deepening divisions within ODM following the death of longtime party leader Raila Odinga.
While the party’s official leadership under Oburu Oginga and Chairperson Gladys Wanga has been conducting separate “Linda Ground” tours in counties such as Kisumu, Kakamega, and Busia, Sifuna and his allies have remained notably absent from those rallies.
Sifuna has publicly distanced himself from the party-led events, saying they were organised and funded outside formal ODM structures and without his involvement as Secretary General.
As ODM continues to grapple with questions around leadership, cooperation with the broad-based government, and voter engagement strategy, the Linda Mwananchi Tours signal a growing internal split over the party’s future direction.
The faction maintains a firm, critical stance on governance and economic justice, positioning itself as an alternative voice within ODM that they argue better reflects the frustrations and expectations of ordinary Kenyans.
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