There was tension at Ufungamano House on Friday, March 27, 2026, after a contingent of police officers stormed the premises as Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna took to the podium to speak.
Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, who was the MC of the event, had just invited Sifuna to the stage before the police that had been stationed outside Ufungamano House stormed the compound, causing a scene.
Sifuna urged the police to let them proceed with the meeting. Moments after, Siaya Governor James Orengo took to the podium to condemn the incident, urging the police to keep off.
“Enough is enough…..I want to tell the police that any action of assault on any one of us will follow you… We are a peaceful people. This meeting is properly convened,” Orengo said.
However, hundreds of the delegates invited to the meeting are still blocked, as the police have sealed off the venue and locked the gate.
Osotsi had earlier indicated that the police stormed Ufungamano House at night and chased those who were arranging the venue.
Earlier, tension gripped Nairobi’s political scene after a heavy police presence was deployed at Ufungamano House, effectively blocking access to the planned ODM parallel National Delegates Convention (NDC) organized by Sifuna.
Security officers mounted roadblocks and restricted entry to the venue in what appeared to be a deliberate move to frustrate the meeting dubbed the “People’s NDC”.
The blocked gathering had been convened by the “Linda Mwananchi” faction, a rebel wing within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), which has been at odds with the party’s mainstream leadership.
The faction is protesting the ouster of Sifuna as ODM Secretary General and opposing the party’s cooperation with the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) under the broad-based government arrangement.
Their parallel NDC was meant to counter the official National Special Delegates Convention (NSDC) being held at the Jamhuri Showground, led by the rival “Linda Ground” faction associated with Oburu Odinga.
Despite the police blockade, Jubilee Party Deputy Organising Secretary Pauline Njoroge, a key ally of the Linda Mwananchi team, insisted the group would push ahead with its plans.
“Hata mfunge njia zote, bado tunakuja!” she declared in a post shared via her official X account.
In a move that has raised concerns over press freedom, journalists attempting to cover the event were also denied entry to Ufungamano House, with police maintaining tight control over the premises.
The developments set the stage for a dramatic political showdown, with two rival conventions, one sanctioned and one blocked, symbolizing the deep fractures within one of Kenya’s largest political parties.
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