Linda Mwananchi explains planned parallel convention

ODM Linda Mwananchi team led by Siaya governor James Orengo address the press on March 18, 2026. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

The Linda Mwananchi faction of ODM led by ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna will hold their ‘People’s National Delegates Convention (NDC), because the one convened by a group allied to Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, known as Linda Ground is illegal.

The group announced yesterday that Dr Oburu’s NDC slated for Friday next week will not be properly convened since it has not been sanctioned by the Secretary General and it ought to have been held after the party concluded its grassroots elections.

Led by Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, Siaya Governor James Orengo, MPs Babu Owino (Embakasi East) Caroli Omondi (Suba South) the leaders accused their counterparts of plotting to install themselves in the party leadership without being duly elected by delegates.

“The party had completed its county elections and we were to conduct the national elections before conducting the National Delegates Convention to confirm the elected party officials. It is unfortunate that the Linda Ground team wants to install officials who have not gone through the laid down procedures,” Osotsi said.

He added that a section of ODM delegates has gone to court to question the legitimacy of the ‘purported’ NDC even as he urged supporters to avoid the meeting ‘like a plague’

“Instead, we ask the delegates to come to our People’s NDC where they belong. We control 35 of 47 counties and this means that we have the people,” Osotsi said.

He maintained that despite being the Deputy Party leader, a position Raila’s daughter and East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) Winnie Odinga is salivating for, he did not care.

“I would have wanted to have been part of the NDC to defend my position but that is if there was a contest. I do not want to appear before ODM delegates to be confirmed when other people who want to contest have been denied the opportunity,” he said.

The leaders accused the Oburu team of ‘auctioning the party to the ruling party claiming the party now operates like it an extension of UDA. A case challenging the proposed NDC has been filed at the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal (PPDT) and a ruling will be delivered a day before the planned event.

Party member Vincent Chepkwony moved to the PPDT earlier this month requesting the tribunal to quash the resolutions of ODM’s National Committee (NEC) meeting of February 11, 2026, while maintaining that Oburu was irregularly installed as the party leader.

The Linda Mwananchi leaders waded into the issue of Winnie’s declaration that she would seek for the Deputy Party leader post cautioning her that she would be used to justify ‘the illegal’ NDC.

“She has every right to seek for any party position but we caution her to trend with caution, the other faction wants to use her name to justify the un-procedural convention,” said Babu.