The Linda Mwananchi faction has announced plans for a parallel National Delegates Convention (NDC) a day after Political Parties Tribunal said it will rule on whether or not ODM can proceed with the March 27 delegates' meeting on the eve of the jamboree, plunging the troubled outfit into further crisis.

The decision by the Political Dispute Tribunal (PPDT) could force the Oburu Oginga-led faction to either postpone the delegates’ meeting or proceed blindly pending the ruling to be delivered on March 26.

Organising such a convention involves elaborate planning with huge budgets to secure venue, pay for logistics and ferry hundreds of delegates from across the 47 counties.

“On the March 27, we are holding a people’s national delegates convention here in Nairobi, and the invitation for that meeting will be announced in due time,” Siaya Governor James Orengo said during a press conference by the Linda Mwananchi camp in Nairobi.

Read: James Orengo: My problem with Ruto, Oburu and why Edwin Sifuna is fit to be president

The governor said that the team will not have to follow the legal procedure of holding an NDC since it is people’s driven.

While Governor Orengo’s side has maintained that it will not attend the Oginga-led NDC, the decision to have a parallel meeting is designed for show of might.

“It is people’s NDC because there is clear violation in the execution of the party and discrimination of our genuine delegates from our party. Those who have been locked out because of the scheme on the other side, have the opportunity to attend the real people’s NDC, convened by Linda Mwananchi,” Vihiga Senator and ODM deputy party leader Godfrey Osotsi said,

Senator Osotsi added that they are out to fight for the soul of ODM and the legacy of the late leader Raila Odinga.

He alleged that there is an attempt to take away the ideology of ODM and its spirit of fight for the people.

“What we have seen is the ODM, which is an extension of the UDA.”

Eala MP Winnie Odinga (left) with Makadara MP and ODM Nairobi branch chair George Aladwa during the party's Nairobi delegates meeting at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation in Upper Hill, Nairobi, on March 17, 2026.

Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group

On the decision by the EALA MP Winnie Odinga to attend to rejoin the Oburu camp, the faction said that they have no problem with her but asked her to be careful with the broad-based side who wants to lure her.

“I want to tell her to trade very carefully because I think those from Linda Ground would want to use her to justify what we are going to do on March 27, to confirm people without a fair competition, and I don’t think that Winnie needs that because she can easily win any seat,” Senator Osotsi said.

Embakasi East Babu Owino also asked the EALA legislator not to forget the ideologies of the ODM party.

While addressing the recent verbal exchange of words between President William Ruto and the United Opposition leaders, Governor Orengo and Babu condemned the move as unpresidential.

“The constitution on leadership and integrity requires that state officers which includes the president must conduct themselves in a manner that brings honour to the nation and dignity to the office that that state officer occupies,” Mr Orengo said.

The governor said that the president’s actions were unnecessary and amounted to impeachment, since he had failed to promote the values and principles of the constitution as well as promoting unity in the country.

“His utterances constitutes an abomination and if you were in a society where the leadership particularly in the assemblies including the Parliament, the only way that the president can be called to order is by impeachment or a sanction by way or a resolution in Parliament.”

Embakasi East Constituency MP Babu Owino speaks at Sarova Stanley during the Linda Mwananchi forum reviewing the broad-based government’s 10-point agenda report on March 11, 2026.

Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group

Embakasi East MP said that the conduct of the president, who is at the apex of leadership in the country ought to express himself in a dignified manner.

“As young leaders, we want to condemn the conduct and becoming of the leaders, especially at the presidency level. We don’t expect the President of the Republic of Kenya to behave in a way that he behaved yesterday. The moment you get annoyed as the president, what decisions will you make?’

Governor Orengo also condemn the state’s attempt to disrupt the smooth operation of Nairobi Hospital, terming the President’s involvement as “kleptomaniac”.

The tribunal was on Tuesday set to hear an application filed by Vincent Chepkwony against ODM in relation to the legality of the party’s current office holders.

However, proceedings halted after Chepkwony’s lawyer requested additional time to respond to documents filed late by the party.

Lawyer Dennis Muriithi told the tribunal he had only been served earlier in the day with a replying affidavit and objection by the respondents.

“I was early in the morning today served with a replying affidavit and an objection by the respondent,” Muriithi said, seeking two days to file a supplementary affidavit and submissions.

Decision to fire Sifuna

ODM lawyer Samuel Makori apologised for the delayed filing and urged the tribunal to focus on the main complaint rather than interim orders.

“The orders sought are far-reaching. We could just go directly to the main complaint,” Makori said.

He added that the application seeks to intercept the party’s Special Delegates Convention set for March 27.

The tribunal directed parties to file all their submissions and fixed the ruling on March 26 at 2:30pm. PPDT will on the same day make a ruling on the sacking of embattled ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna.

In the petition, Mr Chepkwony wants major resolutions made by ODM following the death of its founding leader Raila Odinga quashed in a move that seeks to kick out interim party leader Oburu Oginga and block the planned NDC.

The petitioner has raised legality questions on the membership of ODM’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and Central Management Committee (CMC).

Read: ODM on edge as NDC sparks rift amid legal challenge to March 27 meeting

Central Committee appointed Dr Oburu as the interim party leader on October 16, 2025, while NEC approved the planned NDC. NEC is also responsible for the sacking of embattled Secretary General Edwin Sifuna. The decision to fire Mr Sifuna has since been temporarily quashed pending determination by the PPDT.

“The complainant pleads that upon the demise of the late Raila Amollo Odinga, some members of ODM purporting to constitute themselves as the Central Committee hurriedly met on 16 October, 2025 and purported to pass a resolution installing Oburu Oginga as the interim party leader,” avers the petitioner.

It is the position of the petitioner that upon the death of Mr Odinga, no National Delegates Convention (NDC) was held by the party for purposes of electing Dr Oginga as the party leader.

He argues that Article 15 of the ODM Constitution provides that election of all national officials shall be conducted by the National Delegates Convention.

“Furthermore, none of the current National officials has either been elected or ratified to hold office by the NDC as provided for under Article 15 of the ODM Constitution.’

Further, the petitioner notes that some party members have held meetings, holding and purporting to be the Central Committee and NEC and proceeded to make major party decisions, including firing Mr Sifuna and approval of NDC.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna speaks at Sarova Stanley on March 11, 2026 during the Linda Mwananchi forum reviewing the broad-based government’s 10-point agenda report.

Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group

“The complainant pleads that the resolutions were passed by an organ that is not legally recognized under the ODM Constitution and as such, any decisions or resolutions passed by the individuals are null and void for want of legality under the ODM Constitution.”

The petitioner therefore argues that Dr Oginga is not in office legally while at the same time a majority of the national officials were not elected as provided for by the party’s constitution.

He argues that the Central Committee and NEC as presently constituted cannot therefore make any decision that is legally binding to the party members.

In the petition, the complainant says that he sought for an internal dispute resolution mechanism through a letter dated February 13. He says the party responded by informing him that the complaint was being reviewed. He accuses ODM of failing to form a panel to listen to his grievances, forcing him to file the matter with the PPDT.

“In view of the urgency of the matter, it is only proper that the tribunal adjudicates over this dispute. A declaration that any decisions made by the National Executive Committee and Central Committee of the ODM party as currently constituted are illegal and cannot bind the ODM Party or any of their members.”

Read: Fresh storm in ODM as Oburu camp rules out elections at delegates' convention

But in a replying affidavit through Halima Daro, Secretary for Special Interest Groups in the National Executive Committee, ODM says some of the claims by the petitioner are inaccurate and misleading.

The party says that the officials whose positions are yet to be ratified by the NDC are those adopted by the National Governing Council (NGC) at its meeting held on November 13, 2025.

The officials include Dr Oginga, his deputies; Abdulswamad Nassir, Simba Arati and Godfrey Osotsi. Others are National Chairperson Gladys Wanga, Otiende Amollo (Vice Chairperson), John Ariko (Vice Chairperson), Ahmed Mohammed (National Organizing Secretary, Ruth Odinga (Deputy Organising Secretary) and Rozaah Buyu (Secretary for Political Affairs).

“It is therefore untenable to advance the argument that all current office holders are in office unlawfully, including those who served alongside the former Party Leader. Such a proposition is not only illogical but also devoid of factual or legal basis,” says ODM.

The party avers that the filing of the petition before PPDT was premature, misconceived and basically an attempt to bypass the constitutionally provided internal dispute management framework.

Oginga Oburu — ODM party leader and Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga.

Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group

“The doctrine of exhaustion, now firmly embedded in our jurisprudence, requires that internal mechanisms be allowed to operate before external adjudication is invoked.”

In the response, ODM said it is ready and willing to internally resolve the dispute through the provided internal mechanism.

“I further categorically and unequivocally state that the respondent has not violated any provision of the Constitution of Kenya, the Political Parties Act, or the ODM Constitution in making changes in our National Executive Committee.”

“Any such changes effected in the Party and the returns filed with the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties were strictly within the framework of the Party Constitution pursuant to lawful authority vested in relevant Party organs, and in full compliance with applicable constitutional and statutory requirements.”

The party says the prayers sought for are not in good faith but are intended to brought in bad faith to cripple the functions of the party well knowing that the NEC and Central Committee are the heartbeat of the Party’s functions.

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