NAIROBI, Kenya — A supporter has donated a new sound system to Edwin Sifuna and organisers of the Linda Mwananchi tour, as the political outreach campaign prepares for its next stop at Amalemba grounds in Kakamega County this weekend.
The donation follows an incident last Sunday in Kitengela, where individuals described by organisers as goons disrupted the event, damaging sound equipment before the rally began. Police were forced to disperse crowds using tear gas amid the confrontation.
In a post on X, Sifuna wrote, “We saw you struggling with sound.” The post signaled a message from the gifter.
The replacement equipment, transported by truck, later encountered another setback after organisers reported an attack in Riat, Kisumu County while en route to western Kenya.
“Ishabatizwa… Our crew reporting that state sponsored goons struck just after Riat in Kisumu… lakini safari itaendelea,” Sifuna wrote on X.
The Linda Mwananchi tour has been framed by organisers as a grassroots mobilisation initiative focused on governance, accountability and citizen engagement ahead of the 2027 election cycle.
The developments come amid internal party tensions within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), where Sifuna, the party’s Secretary-General, was recently removed from his position by the National Executive Committee.
However, the decision was temporarily halted after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal issued a stay order, certifying the case as urgent and suspending implementation of the resolution pending further hearing.
Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo had been appointed acting secretary-general following the NEC decision.
Speaking earlier at a press briefing in Nairobi, Sifuna insisted he remains the party’s legitimately elected Secretary-General and criticised the process that led to his removal.
Also Read: Police use tear gas to disperse opposition rally in Kitengela as ODM rift deepens
“I was not given a chance to defend myself,” he said, asserting that the NEC’s action violated party’s procedures. Sifuna maintained that he remains committed to ODM and its founding ideals, vowing to continue defending the party.
“Whatever actions I take, I will do so knowing that I have never let down my leader, Raila. We shall fight for ODM; surrender is not an option for us. I remain a loyal member and the duly elected secretary general of ODM,” he said.
Political analysts say the confrontation, both on the ground during rallies and within party leadership structures, reflects widening factional contestation as opposition formations reposition ahead of national political realignments.
