The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is fracturing in real-time. As teargas choked supporters of Edwin Sifuna in Kitengela, Oburu Oginga rallied the old guard at Tononoka, marking the beginning of a vicious civil war for the party's future.

Two rallies. Two factions. One dying dynasty? Sunday witnessed the physical manifestation of ODM's internal rot. On one side, the "Young Turk" Sifuna, defiant amidst clouds of police smoke. On the other, the dynastic heir Oburu, invoking the spirit of the past in Mombasa.

This is no longer a whisper campaign. It is an open brawl for the control of Kenya's most recognizable political brand ahead of the next General Election.

The Kitengela Roar

In Kitengela, police teargassed Sifuna's "Linda Mwananchi" rally, but the optics may have worked in his favor. By dispersing the crowd, the state inadvertently validated Sifuna's narrative of persecution. He stood unbowed, declaring that the "spirit of Raila" lives in the resistance, not in the boardrooms.

"We will not fear anything," Sifuna declared. "A leader does not lead himself." His faction represents the restless youth of the party who feel the current leadership has sold out to the government.

The Tononoka Stand

Miles away in Mombasa, Oburu Oginga and Gladys Wanga led the "Linda Ground" tour. Their message was one of continuity and order. However, reports indicate smaller crowds compared to the raucous energy of Sifuna's camp. The symbolism was stark: the establishment struggling to fill the grounds, while the insurgency fought in the streets.

The Split

The fracture is ideological and generational.

• Sifuna's Camp: Anti-government, populist, youth-driven. They accuse the party leadership of being "in bed" with President Ruto.
• Oburu's Camp: Establishment, dynastic, cautious. They view Sifuna's defiance as indiscipline that threatens the party's cohesion.

As the teargas settles, one thing is clear: ODM is at a crossroads. It will either be reborn in the fire of this conflict or it will burn to the ground.

"The fractures within ODM morphed into a battle for control... both insisting on a rebirth."