Linda Mwananchi is moving to contain growing tensions within its ranks after disagreements over the movement’s leadership and the 2027 presidential ticket threatened to overshadow its efforts to build a united opposition platform.
The latest attempt to calm the situation came on Wednesday when Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi held talks with Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, a day after the Nairobi lawmaker publicly declared that he would not attend all Linda Mwananchi rallies as he concentrates on his bid for Nairobi governor.
The meeting appeared aimed at preventing Mr Owino’s remarks from developing into a wider dispute within the fledgling political movement, which has already been forced to navigate competing ambitions among its senior leaders.
Internal strain emerges within Linda Mwananchi amid competing political interests
“I had a fruitful meeting with my younger brother and incoming Nairobi Governor, Hon. Babu Owino, where we discussed matters concerning Linda Mwananchi,” Mr Osotsi said after the meeting.
“Unity of purpose is important and Hon. Babu is an important factor in Senator Edwin Sifuna’s 2027 presidential journey. Let us maintain our focus, determination and resilience in advancing the interests of our people.”
“Our detractors will not succeed. We remain united and committed to the cause,” he added.
The intervention came barely three days after the movement held its Nairobi rally at Jacaranda Grounds, an event that had been preceded by behind-the-scenes efforts to prevent differences among its principals from becoming public.
The latest disagreement centres on the competing political priorities of Mr Owino and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.
Mr Owino on Tuesday sought to play down reports of differences between the two leaders, insisting that there was no reason for their ambitions to clash.
“Sifuna is our presidential candidate, Linda Mwananchi, and that is very clear. There is no way I can fight Sifuna because I want to be Governor and he wants to be President. Don’t bring tension where there is none,” he said.
Siaya Governor James Orengo (right) alongside Embakasi East MP Babu Owino outside the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters in Nairobi on August 18, 2026.
Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation Media Group
But he also made it clear that his commitment to the movement’s national rallies would be selective as he turns his attention to Nairobi, where he intends to campaign across all 85 wards.
“I will attend some and may not attend some because of the programmes I will be having in Nairobi,” Mr Owino said.
His remarks came with the opposition movement still trying to establish a clear chain of command and political hierarchy.
Mr Owino has been one of the most visible figures in Linda Mwananchi alongside Mr Sifuna, Siaya Governor James Orengo, Mr Osotsi and Suba South MP Caroli Omondi.
The five leaders have jointly appeared at several rallies since their departure from ODM, presenting the movement as part of a broader effort to assemble an alternative political platform ahead of the 2027 General Election.
But beneath the public display of unity are competing ambitions and questions over who exercises influence within the new outfit.
At the Jacaranda rally, questions were raised about protocol after Mr Owino invited Mr Sifuna to address the gathering before other leaders.
It was against this background that Mr Owino's comments about selectively attending rallies were closely watched by the movement's leadership.
The lawmaker, however, sought to shift the focus from rallies to strategy, arguing that the opposition should spend more time building a campaign structure than touring the country.
“I want to advise those who are in opposition that we need to spend more time strategising, getting tact, rather than campaigning in all these rallies,” he said.
Mr Owino invoked the political experience of the late Raila Odinga, whom he accompanied during extensive nationwide campaigns.
“Baba did all these, and I went with him to 280 constituencies out of 290 constituencies, but look at where we landed. He was never sworn in, somebody who was much loved,” he said.
Siaya Governor James Orengo (left) shares a light moment with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna after a closed-door meeting in Karen, Nairobi on September 10, 2026.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
His comments highlight one of the central questions confronting the opposition on whether early mobilisation should take precedence over resolving the leadership, coalition and nomination questions that could ultimately determine the shape of the 2027 contest.
The question has become more complicated following Governor Orengo's declaration, barely two weeks ago, that he would challenge Mr Sifuna for the Linda Mwananchi presidential ticket.
Mr Orengo has insisted that he should be allowed to contest if the movement establishes a credible nomination process.
The declaration unsettled some of Mr Sifuna's allies, who had already begun presenting the Nairobi senator as the movement's presidential flagbearer.
Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga subsequently criticised attempts by senior politicians to challenge Mr Sifuna, warning against what he described as efforts to hijack the senator's presidential bid.
The differences prompted Mr Sifuna to engage Mr Orengo and Mr Owino in talks as the movement prepared for the Nairobi rally.
The consultations helped avert an open confrontation, with the three leaders appearing together as the movement sought to project unity at Jacaranda.
Mr Owino's latest declaration, however, has reopened questions about whether the differences within the movement have merely been contained rather than resolved.
Mr Orengo's challenge was already facing the difficulty of building support within a movement whose other senior leaders have publicly aligned themselves with Mr Sifuna.
Mr Owino has now made his position clear, while Mr Omondi, who comes from Mr Orengo's political backyard in Nyanza, has also publicly backed Mr Sifuna.
The movement remains part of a much larger opposition conversation in which several political figures are seeking a common presidential candidate to challenge President William Ruto.
He recently met Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka before holding talks with Jubilee presidential aspirant Fred Matiang'i and other opposition leaders.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna addresses a Linda Mwananchi rally at Jacaranda Grounds in Nairobi on September 13, 2026.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group
At one of the meetings in Karen, Mr Sifuna, Dr Matiang'i and Mr Orengo discussed the possibility of a Western Kenya alliance bringing together Gusii, Luo and Luhya political interests.
Mr Osotsi described the discussions as part of wider consultations aimed at bringing the opposition together.
Mr Owino has argued that the opposition should settle on a joint presidential candidate by December to allow sufficient time to organise a national campaign.
“By December, we must have settled on one presidential candidate who can mount a serious challenge against President Ruto,” he said.
The proposed timeline would give the opposition several months to build a joint campaign structure, negotiate the distribution of positions and agree on a common platform.
“But before that happens, the emerging formations must first contain internal rivalries,” says political analyst Geoffrey Mboya.
Linda Mwananchi's immediate challenge, he argues, is to maintain the appearance — and substance — of unity while its leaders negotiate questions of leadership, presidential nominations and regional interests.
Mr Osotsi's swift meeting with Mr Owino on Wednesday, he noted, signals an awareness within the movement that public disagreements among its principals could complicate efforts to present itself as a credible national alternative.
