Looming Showdown as Police Block Sifuna’s ODM Parallel Meeting Venue at Ufungamano House

Looming Showdown as Police Block Sifuna’s ODM Parallel Meeting Venue at Ufungamano House

A heavy police deployment and mounting political tension defined the morning of Friday, March 27, after security officers blocked access to Ufungamano House, where a faction of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) had planned a parallel convention.

Anti-riot police were stationed at all entry points along Mamlaka Road, preventing delegates, party officials, and journalists from entering the premises. The blockade targeted a meeting organised by the party wing aligned with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna under the banner of the Linda Mwananchi faction.

The group had announced plans to hold what it termed a “People’s National Delegates Convention” (NDC), in direct opposition to another convention convened by a rival ODM faction elsewhere in Nairobi.

Witnesses at the scene described a tense standoff as officers erected barricades and restricted movement around the building, turning away individuals attempting to access the venue. Police vehicles and personnel in riot gear dominated the area, underscoring the high stakes surrounding the rival gatherings.

Despite the blockade, ODM Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi, the Senator for Vihiga and a key ally of the Sifuna camp, insisted the meeting would proceed as planned. He urged delegates to assemble at Ufungamano House, arguing that their convention represented the genuine will of party members.

“We will proceed with our convention because it reflects the voice of ODM members across the country,” Osotsi said, accusing authorities of interfering in an internal party process.

The Linda Mwananchi faction also includes prominent figures such as James Orengo and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino. Both leaders have declared the rival convention illegitimate and signalled their readiness to challenge any resolutions adopted there through the courts.

The police action highlights a deepening crisis within ODM following the death of longtime party leader Raila Odinga in October 2025. For nearly two decades, Odinga served as the party’s central unifying figure, and his absence has exposed long-standing rivalries that now threaten to split the party ahead of the 2027 General Election.

At the heart of the dispute are two competing factions advancing sharply different visions for the party’s future.

One group, operating under the Linda Ground banner and led by Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, assumed control of party leadership shortly after Odinga’s death in India. This faction organised its own National Delegates Convention at the ASK Grounds Jamhuri Park, where supporters began gathering early Friday.

The rival Linda Mwananchi faction, aligned with Sifuna, argues that the Linda Ground convention violates the ODM constitution, particularly provisions governing how a Special Delegates Conference should be convened.

“Any resolutions from the rival meeting will be illegal and will be challenged in court,” a senior official from the Sifuna camp stated.

Political analysts say the parallel conventions reflect a broader struggle for control of ODM’s leadership structure, party assets, and nomination machinery ahead of the next national polls.

Meanwhile, the presence of security forces has raised concerns about the state’s role in what critics describe as an internal party dispute. Authorities had not issued an official explanation for the blockade at the time of reporting.

As tensions continue to escalate, observers warn that the outcome of the standoff could significantly reshape Kenya’s opposition politics, potentially altering alliances and electoral dynamics in the run-up to 2027.

With both factions showing no signs of backing down, the situation at Ufungamano House remains fluid, and further developments are expected as the day unfolds.

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Looming Showdown as Police Block Sifuna’s ODM Parallel Meeting Venue at Ufungamano House