Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has formally abandoned the “Linda Ground” slogan that had defined a series of political rallies across the country.
This is a significant political shift as the party seeks to strengthen support ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The announcement was made during a meeting bringing together ODM aspirants from Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay and Migori counties, where party leaders unveiled a new mobilisation strategy focused on strengthening the ODM identity, restoring internal discipline and preparing the party for the next electoral contest.
The decision effectively ends the countrywide rallies conducted under the Linda Ground banner, which emerged following internal succession realignments after the death of former ODM Leader Raila Odinga.
The move is widely seen as an attempt by the Oburu Odinga-led faction to distance itself from the “Linda Mwananchi” camp associated with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and leaders perceived to be pushing parallel political messaging within the party.
Although no leader directly mentioned Sifuna during the meeting, repeated warnings against splinter movements and mixed messaging highlighted growing tensions within ODM during the party’s transition period.
ODM Chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga said future campaigns would strictly use ODM branding and official party colours to avoid confusion.
“We created a movement called Linda Ground to consolidate our bases, but some people came and instead of thinking about their own movement, they came to this Linda movement and created confusion,” said Wanga.
She cautioned aspirants against producing campaign materials that could suggest the existence of factions within the party.
“When you do your posters and campaign materials, let them remain ODM. The colour is orange. We do not want confusion,” she added.
Wanga maintained that ODM remains united under Oburu’s leadership and dismissed claims of internal divisions.
“There are no factions. The party is ODM under Dr. Oburu Oginga as our party leader. Anything else is a splitter,” she said.
She acknowledged that the transition following Raila Odinga’s exit had been difficult but praised Oburu for stabilising the party.
“Transitions are never easy, particularly after the loss of a leader of the caliber of Raila Odinga,” Wanga said.
The meeting also revealed ODM’s broader strategy ahead of 2027, including plans to pursue zoning arrangements in its traditional strongholds under the cooperation framework with United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Oburu Odinga said ODM’s dominance in Nyanza would be protected through negotiated coalition arrangements aimed at preventing vote splitting between coalition partners.
“This region is zoned for ODM. ODM is strong here, and UDA will not field candidates in these areas,” he said.
Oburu defended zoning as a normal coalition strategy and urged party supporters to intensify grassroots mobilisation to strengthen ODM’s bargaining power in future government negotiations.
“When negotiations happen, people will ask how many MPs you brought, how many MCAs you brought and how many presidential votes you delivered. That is what determines your share in government,” he said.
He also assured aspirants that ODM nominations would be free and fair, warning against corruption, intimidation and attempts to influence party officials using money.
“We are going to ensure there is a free and fair nomination. Politics is about serving people,” he said.
