- Homa Bay governor Gladys Wanga faced boos at the ODM rally in Kisumu amid surging internal party tensions
- Wanga insisted that only Raila Odinga could challenge President William Ruto in the upcoming 2027 General Election
- She also insisted that the party would not support demonstrations despite MP Babu Owino’s prior claims of the benefits of the party’s protests
Nancy Odindo is a Kenyan journalist at TUKO.co.ke with five years of experience covering politics, news, and features across digital and print media.
Homa Bay governor Gladys Wanga has been booed at the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party stronghold.
Source: Facebook
Wanga was at a rally in Ahero, Nyando Constituency, on Tuesday, February 17, when she met resistance while pushing for the ODM’s agenda ahead of the 2027 General Election.
While speaking at the chaotic event, the county boss dismissed Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino for opposing the broad-based arrangement and advocating for fielding a presidential candidate.
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Previously, Babu highlighted that the demonstrations ODM participated in during the reign of the late former prime minister Raila Odinga yielded significant benefits to the country, including the appointment of four ‘experts’ to the government.
Babu also attributed the ODM-UDA coalition to the protests.
What did Gladys Wanga tell Kisumu supporters?
However, while responding to his assertions, Wanga stated that ODM members are exhausted of serving in the opposition and would not quit the broad-based arrangement.
“They want our people to go back to the streets. Do you agree with that? We have been in the opposition for a long time, and we are tired of being there. We want to form the government and move forward,” she stated.
Additionally, Wanga claimed that only Raila could face President William Ruto at the ballot, suggesting that all the 2027 presidential hopefuls would fail to make him a one-term leader.
“When you look at those who have declared interest in the presidency, only Raila could unseat Ruto, and that is the truth,” Wanga claimed.
Despite her efforts to convey the message and persuade the crowd to support her sentiments, the people kept on chanting Babu’s name, signalling a desire for change.
Source: Facebook
Why is the ODM party divided?
The resistance came amid escalating political tensions in the country, especially within the ODM party after a section of leaders refused to support the broad-based arrangement.
A team led by Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna has been holding parallel rallies dubbed Linda Mwananchi Tour, as another faction aligned with Ruto advances its agenda through Linda Ground rallies.
The divisions intensified after Sifuna was ousted as the party’s secretary general, a move that has seemingly earned him more followers.
Recently, Sifuna’s rally in Kitengela drew thousands of supporters who stood in solidarity with him while he challenged his ouster.
What did Wanga say about Edwin Sifuna’s ouster?
Meanwhile, following Sifuna’s removal from the influential position, Wanga stated that the process aligned with the party’s constitution.
The politician stated that the NEC meeting, attended by 34 members with two apologies, met the quorum requirement for decision-making, despite the controversy surrounding the ouster.
She accused Sifuna of being indisciplined and straying from ODM’s key decisions, insisting that the senator was mistaken to oppose the party.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
