ODM's show of strength at Nairobi's Jacaranda Grounds ended in disarray on Saturday, October 31, after a group of suspected goons stormed the main dais, seized the public address system and forced senior party leaders to flee under the cover of their security details.

The rally was meant to be the high point of Mwezi wa Baba, the month-long series of events marking one year since the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Thousands of supporters in orange had streamed into the Embakasi grounds, many of them in a procession from the city centre.

How the rally fell apart

According to accounts by Kenyans.co.ke, The Star and People Daily, trouble started while leaders on the podium were still introducing themselves. Some aspirants reportedly tried to push their way to the main stage with their own security personnel, sparking confrontations at the front of the dais.

Moments later, unidentified men climbed onto the stage and took hold of the microphone. One of them was heard urging the crowd "Msitoroke" (do not run away), even as confusion spread through the gathering. Some leaders also used the microphones to appeal to supporters to stay put.

When police moved in, the scuffles turned into running battles that scattered the crowd. Bodyguards were seen quickly escorting top officials to their waiting vehicles as the meeting collapsed.

Among the leaders at the venue were:

  • ODM chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga
  • Deputy party leader and Kisii Governor Simba Arati
  • Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi
  • Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho
  • Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and Minority Leader Junet Mohamed

Party leader Oburu Oginga, who is still recovering from illness, did not attend in person and addressed the crowd through a live link.

Questions over security

The disruption came barely a day after Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud assured ODM officials that officers would be deployed along the route from Uhuru Park and at the venue, and warned that anyone trying to disrupt the meeting would face action.

By Saturday evening, it was still unclear who the men who stormed the stage were, who had sent them, or whether anyone had been injured or arrested. Neither ODM nor the Nairobi police command had issued an official statement.

A party under strain

The chaos is likely to add to pressure on ODM's leadership, which has been battling deep internal divisions over its cooperation with President William Ruto's administration and whether to back his 2027 re-election. The rival "Tutam" and "Wantam" camps have increasingly clashed in public, while the Linda Mwananchi faction associated with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna recently held its own rally at the same grounds.

Before the disruption, speakers had used the platform to insist the party remained united and dominant in Nairobi, and to press demands for a bigger share of power in any deal with Ruto's United Democratic Alliance.

The incident also comes as the government says it is intensifying a crackdown on political goonism ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Photos: People Daily (screengrab of TV footage); The Star. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.