“Sifuna and Osotsi Haven’t Taken ODM Supporters With Them,” Passaris Dismisses Linda Mwananchi Team

Esther Passaris has dismissed claims that the exit of Edwin Sifuna and Godfrey Osotsi from Orange Democratic Movement means they have carried the party’s supporters with them.

Speaking during a radio interview, the Nairobi Woman Representative said the Linda Mwananchi faction is overestimating its influence and will soon realise it lacks the grassroots support it claims to command.

Passaris argued that the crowds appearing at rallies organised by Sifuna and his allies do not necessarily translate into genuine political backing.

“Wacha waendelee na mambo yao, lakini hawataenda na supporters wa ODM; itafika wakati ambao reality will hit… They are just entertaining them,” Passaris said.

The remarks come amid growing tensions inside ODM following the emergence of the Linda Mwananchi movement, which has been holding political rallies across the country.

The faction has positioned itself as a rival force to another political camp associated with long-time ODM leader Oburu Odinga.

While the Linda Mwananchi team portrays its campaign as a national political wave, Passaris insists the group lacks a clear political agenda and is riding on temporary excitement from the public.

According to her, leaders aligned with her camp are focused on a structured political strategy, including pursuing a possible coalition agreement with United Democratic Alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections.

However, leaders allied to the Linda Mwananchi faction see the situation differently.

Caroli Omondi, the Suba South MP and a key member of the movement, has predicted that ODM could soon split into two factions — one that retains the official party structures and another that carries the majority of the party’s supporters.

Ayub Savula, the Kakamega Deputy Governor, also criticised the growing influence of Sifuna’s faction.

Savula likened their current popularity to a bushfire that burns intensely at first but quickly fades, arguing that the momentum is largely a reaction from the public following Sifuna’s removal from the party’s Secretary General position.
2027 battle lines forming

With rival camps now organising rallies and mobilising supporters, the internal ODM dispute is increasingly shaping up as an early contest ahead of the 2027 general election.

Passaris maintains that the true measure of political strength will only be determined at the ballot.

“It is after the 2027 polls that Kenyans will know which side truly has the people,” she said.