In a no-holds-barred interview that has sent shockwaves through Kenya’s political landscape, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna dropped a bombshell on Citizen TV’s The Explainer with host Yvonne Okwara last night.
Sifuna flatly disowned the high-profile “Linda Ground” consultative rallies sweeping across Nyanza, Western, and Coast regions, declaring they are not bankrolled by official ODM funds.
“I can state authoritatively here that the money and resources you see being spent in those ODM rallies, the so-called Linda Ground forums, are not coming from ODM headquarters,” Sifuna asserted, his tone firm and unflinching.
As one of the official signatories to the party’s bank accounts, Sifuna emphasized he has not authorized or signed off on any expenditures for these flashy events. He pointed out that the last legitimate party-funded activity was the ODM 20th-anniversary celebrations in Mombasa.
“Linda Ground rallies are not financed from ODM quarters or party coffers. That one I can tell you for free,” he added, leaving the door wide open for speculation.
Pressed by Okwara on the obvious follow-up—who exactly is footing the bill?—Sifuna threw the question back: the responsibility lies with those organizing the forums, led by ODM’s interim leader Oburu Oginga and allies like Oketch Salah.
The revelation has deepened the widening cracks within ODM, already fractured by debates over its role in the broad-based government with President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza coalition, the pace of the UDA-ODM 10-point agenda, and the party’s direction ahead of 2027 elections.
Sifuna, a vocal defender of Raila Odinga’s hardline opposition legacy, has clashed with factions pushing for closer ties with the ruling side. Meanwhile, the “Linda Ground” initiatives—aimed at grassroots mobilization and “protecting” party strongholds—continue unabated, raising urgent questions about transparency, influence, and potential external agendas.
With former President Uhuru Kenyatta making a visible return to political circles and whispers of his shadow influence in opposition dynamics, the funding mystery only fuels the intrigue. Could shadowy financiers be pulling strings to reshape ODM’s future? Or is this another chapter in the party’s internal power struggles?
One thing is clear: Sifuna’s explosive interview has turned up the heat. As ODM grapples with leadership transitions, factional rifts, and the looming 2027 battle, Kenyans are left asking the million-shilling question—who’s really calling the shots, and at what cost?
Watch this space. The drama in ODM is far from over.
