ODM’s Linda Mwananchi wing draws huge crowd in Tononoka
Embattled ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna on Sunday led a charged Linda Mwananchi rally at Tononoka Grounds, openly daring police to disrupt the gathering.
Thousands turned up from across Mombasa and neighbouring counties, with Tononoka Grounds filling up by late morning up in a bold show of political defiance.
The Nairobi Senator, joined by Siaya GovernorJames Orengo and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, used the rally to project strength in the Coast region amid the ongoing standoff within Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Defiance and political messaging
Addressing the crowd, Mr Sifuna challenged authorities over previous attempts to block similar events, signalling that the movement would not back down.
He also escalated his fallout with rival ODM leadership, declaring he could not serve under what he termed “mediocrity”-- reinforcing his earlier stance that he would not continue as Secretary-General under new party arrangements.
Mr Orengo, in his address, praised the role of Coast residents--especially women--in driving the movement, saying their support reflects the “heartbeat” of Linda Mwananchi.
Other leaders who spoke spent time justifying the Linda Mwananchi movement, saying it was an alternative to current government.
Mavoko MP Patrick Makau asked Mombasa residents support efforts to resist grabbing of East African Portland Cement land.
"This cement factory has over 15,000 acres in my county (Machakos) and here in Mombasa. They have brought a Tanzanian citizen to buy it," he said.
The Mombasa event comes just days after parallel ODM meetings in Nairobi, and is being seen as a direct contest for political legitimacy within the party.
For Linda Mwananchi, the rally was more than a gathering--it was a show of force, signalling that the faction is taking its fight to the grassroots ahead of the 2027 political cycle.
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