Police officers have been deployed to block access to the planned Linda Mwananchi meeting at Ufungamano House along Mamlaka Road in Nairobi.
Security forces mounted a heavy presence on Friday morning, barricading roads leading to the venue and preventing participants from accessing the building.
Tight Security and Road Blockades
Photos and videos seen by vihiga.top showed officers armed with batons stationed along key entry points, effectively sealing off access to the area.
Police water cannons were also deployed to the scene as authorities moved to prevent the planned gathering from proceeding.
The heightened security comes amid tensions surrounding competing political meetings within the opposition camp.
Defiant Organizers Insist Meeting Will Go On
Despite the police blockade, Digital Strategist Pauline Njoroge, a key figure in the Linda Mwananchi faction, insisted that the meeting would proceed as planned.
“Even if you block all the roads, we are still coming,” Njoroge said in a social media post on Friday.
The group had earlier announced plans to hold a parallel meeting to the ODM National Delegates Conference (NDC) taking place at the Jamhuri Showground ODM NDC.
Parallel Political Gatherings
The faction led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna described its meeting as the “People’s NDC,” scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Friday.
The gathering is being held in parallel to the official ODM National Delegates Conference, which party leaders insist remains the only constitutionally recognized meeting.
Party Leadership Response
On Wednesday, March 25, ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga emphasized that all party leaders, including Edwin Sifuna and Babu Owino, are legitimate delegates and are free to attend the official conference.
She downplayed fears of confrontation, expressing confidence that leaders would participate constructively in the official event.
Wanga further clarified that only one legally recognized National Delegates Conference had been convened in line with party rules and constitutional provisions.
“There is only one NDC called in accordance with section 49 of our constitution… anything else would be maybe a kamukunji, a baraza, a political rally,” she said.
Political Tensions Within ODM
The Linda Mwananchi faction has publicly opposed aspects of the current ODM leadership structure under Oburu Oginga.
The group has also expressed resistance to any suggestion that ODM may support President William Ruto’s re-election bid in 2027.
The standoff highlights growing internal divisions within the party as rival camps push competing political agendas.
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