Kisii Governor Simba Arati and ODM party leader Dr Oburu Oginga at Sameta grounds in Kisii County during the 'Linda Ground' function on January 25, 2026.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has launched an aggressive campaign to safeguard its strongholds ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Dubbed ‘Linda Ground’, the initiative is led by ODM leader Dr Oburu Oginga and involves a series of political activities aimed at consolidating the party’s influence in Nyanza, Western, and Coast regions.
On Sunday, the party took its ‘Linda Ground’ campaign to Sameta Grounds in Kisii County, urging residents to rally behind party leader Dr Oginga, with ODM seeking to resist a growing Jubilee presence in the region led by Dr Fred Matiang’i, and assured locals that it remains committed to their interests.
As part of the campaign, ODM has announced a major voter registration drive targeting an additional 700,000 new voters in the four Nyanza counties of Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay, and Migori. The four counties currently have a combined 2.2 million registered voters, according to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
In Kisii, Dr Oburu acknowledged the challenge of stepping into his late brother Raila Odinga’s political shoes.
Kisii Governor Simba Arati and ODM party leader Dr Oburu Oginga at Sameta grounds in Kisii County during the 'Linda Ground' function on January 25, 2026.
“Some people are saying that Raila's shoes are too big for me. Even though I know they are big, I am trying. I cannot surrender.” Dr Oburu stressed that losing the party would be a let-down for his brother’s legacy and for Kenyans who rely on ODM to expose injustices, promising to do everything in his power to keep the party strong.
Kisii Governor Simba Arati warned critics who have doubted the party’s resilience.
“I have seen hyenas scavenging, thinking that the party will go down. It will not. We entered this government through the window, but we now want to use a big door.”
ODM National Chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga said similar voter registration drives will be replicated in Western, Coast, and other ODM strongholds ahead of the next election.
Political insiders believe retaining its traditional bastions is critical for ODM to maintain a substantive stake in the next government. The party has also indicated plans to enter a pre-coalition agreement with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA), likely supporting his re-election bid.
Riddled with internal infighting, factionalism, and the passing of its founding leader, ODM is reasserting political authority amid fears that rapprochement with President Ruto could weaken the party ahead of 2027.
The party’s strategy also aims to retain parliamentary, county assembly, and gubernatorial seats.
“We can only negotiate if we have numbers. It was because of our numbers in Parliament that Raila [Odinga] could negotiate with the President. We aim to increase our parliamentary seats from the current 83 to 100 to strengthen our negotiating power,” said Governor Wanga in Kisumu on Saturday.
She added: “We have to retain all our strongholds to negotiate effectively. Some critics say we don’t have enough numbers, but we plan to visit every ward and mobilise voters. Each ward in the four Nyanza counties will have a target for new voter registration to achieve an additional 700,000 voters.”
Dr Oburu has already led rallies in Nairobi’s Kibra, Busia, Kakamega, and Kisumu, while ODM co-deputy party leader Arati hosted a major rally in Kisii on Sunday.
National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohammed told the Daily Nation that the ‘Linda Ground’ tour will continue across all ODM counties. He said the rallies are also aimed at gathering grassroots views on the party’s plan to enter coalition talks with UDA.
ODM party leaders at Sameta grounds in Kisii County during the 'Linda Ground' event on January 25, 2026.
“The activities follow the late Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s political ‘manual’ of engaging party members before major decisions,” Mr Mohammed said.
The leaders have continued to rally support for the broad-based government and the planned pre-coalition agreement.
During the rallies, National Assembly Budget and Appropriation Chairman and Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi has been tasked with explaining key national development projects delivered under the coalition pact.
Last Friday, during the launch of the Sindo–Nyabera Road construction in Suba South constituency, Mr Atandi highlighted several ongoing projects under the political truce.
“These projects underscore the strength of the broad-based government and ODM’s commitment to delivering development that impacts people’s lives,” he said.
While in Kakamega on January 18, Mr Atandi reported that most of the 10-point agenda items have been implemented. He said regions historically receiving skewed allocations are now getting a fair share of development funding. For example, President Ruto committed Sh1.4 billion to complete Bukhungu Stadium and Sh1 billion to finish Kakamega Level Six Hospital.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) between ODM and UDA recommended Sh450 billion as equitable revenue allocation for counties, while the current budget has allocated Sh415 billion—up from Sh380 billion in the 2024/25 fiscal year. The parties plan to meet next year to reconcile the figure.
A document from the Ministry of Transport shows Kakamega, Busia, Bungoma, and Vihiga counties have been allocated close to Sh7 billion for road projects in the current financial year.
Kakamega received Sh2.5 billion for road construction, with Sh280 million used to clear pending bills, up from Sh820 million in 2024/25. The government plans to construct 295 km of roads, with a total contract value of Sh34 billion. Bungoma has received Sh2.1 billion, including Sh1 billion for new roads, Sh787 million for ongoing projects, and Sh360 million for pending bills, while Vihiga received Sh1.3 billion, with Sh688 million used for pending bills through bridge financing.
Busia received Sh751 million for road projects.
The comprehensive voter mobilisation, grassroots engagement, and highlighting of government projects signal ODM’s determination to consolidate its political base ahead of 2027.
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