The soul of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is being fought for on two fronts: the teargas-choked streets of Kitengela and the breezy, triumphant grounds of Tononoka, as the Sifuna and Oburu factions openly declare war.

Sunday, February 15, 2026, will go down as the day the Orange party finally split down the middle—not in membership, but in ideology. While Party Leader Oburu Oginga led the "Linda Ground" brigade in Mombasa to preach the gospel of government cooperation, the ousted Secretary General Edwin Sifuna took his "Linda Mwananchi" crusade to Kitengela, where he was met with the full force of the state.

The contrast could not have been starker.One rally had state security and VIP treatment; the other had teargas and running battles. [This is the new reality of the opposition.

The Ideological Schism

At the heart of this clash is the "Broad-Based Government" deal. Oburu’s faction argues that ODM must be inside the government to deliver development—a pragmatic, if unromantic, survival strategy. Sifuna’s faction views this as supreme betrayal, selling the party’s reformist soul for cabinet flags.

• Linda Ground (Oburu): Focuses on consolidating the party base to support the current cooperation with President Ruto. Slogan: "Development through peace."
• Linda Mwananchi (Sifuna): Positions itself as the true opposition, fighting for the overtaxed citizen. Slogan: "Okoa Kenya."

The Battle for Legitimacy

"Raila left us a 10-point agenda, not a surrender document!" Sifuna shouted to the Kitengela crowd before police dispersed the gathering. His defiance is resonating with the Gen Z demographic, who feel abandoned by the mainstream opposition.

Meanwhile, in Mombasa, Oburu dismissed Sifuna as "indisciplined," appointing Catherine Omanyo as the new SG. But with the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal barring the change, Sifuna remains the legal, if ghostly, holder of the office. The party is now a two-headed snake, biting its own tail.