Trouble in paradise: Hired crowds, internal revolt rock Oburu's ODM

The ODM party, once known for drawing organic crowds without spending a shilling, is now reportedly spending millions to mobilise supporters for its rallies to project strength and loyalty.

The party faces a daunting task of rebuilding trust among its supporters after a difficult week that has exposed internal fault lines and emerging rivalries. Sources say the use of inducements to boost attendance at party events is increasingly becoming commonplace.

The Sunday Standard has established that party leader Oburu Oginga and chairperson Gladys Wanga, together with members of their faction’s strategy teams, have retreated to craft a fresh plan aimed at consolidating support, even as some leaders push for a change of the party’s leadership.

Throughout the week, several leaders have openly clashed over the party’s management. Some MCAs from Kisumu and Migori have accused the party leadership of favoritism in the allocation of mobilisation funds.

The Oburu-led faction of the ODM party is walking a political tightrope, with signs of a fresh implosion emerging as the leadership leans on expensive crowd mobilisation to project strength and sustained backing for President William Ruto’s re-election bid.

The party’s latest headache stems from strategy that relies heavily on handouts to attract supporters to its events. Over the past month, ODM has held a series of strategy and mobilisation meetings with various stakeholders, but the approach came under sharper scrutiny last weekend following a  poorly attended rally in Kisumu that exposed fresh divisions, suspicions and internal revolt.

What was intended to showcase unity and organisational strength has instead triggered criticism within the party with some members  questioning the growing dependence on inducements to fill venues.  

Observers say the leadership may have miscalculated in shifting from organic support to cash-driven mobilisation, warning that the approach is unsustainable and risks masking deeper fractures within the 21-year-old party.

A web of internal tensions within the ODM party became more apparent yesterday as a section of leaders complained of being sidelined in the mobilisation efforts and missing out on funds meant to pay supporters.

Their public remarks mirror findings from an indepth investigations that revealed behind-the-scenes planning for last Sunday’s Kisumu rally, including reliance on grassroots networks to mobilise attendees.

While Oburu has dismissed allegations that the party is paying people to attend rallies, pressure continues to mount as dissenting voices within his own camp grow louder.

Own resources 

According to several party insiders, leaders were directed by Wanga and Oburu to mobilise support for the event. However, many reportedly had to dig into their own pockets to transport supporters to Kisumu.

“We paid attendees between Sh200 and Sh3,000 depending on the leader sponsoring a specific group,” said an MCA from Homa Bay. The Ward Rep further claimed that senior party officials later made follow up calls to confirm whether the mobilisation plan had been executed as agreed in earlier meetings.

Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda was blunt: elected leaders were given money to pay supporters to attend the rally. He claimed that MPs received Sh500,000 while MCAs were given Sh100,000 to ferry people to the event.

An MP who requested anonymity confirmed that he personally sponsored about 500 people to attend the rally. Ojienda also acknowledged that he used his own resources to transport supporters in four buses from Nyakach.

The revelations cast a dark shadow over the party’s future, given its long-standing reputation for drawing organic crowds without paying attendees. 

They may also explain the long convoy of school buses that were seen on that day. The Sunday Standard counted at least 70 buses and 50 lorries used to ferry residents from all four Luo Nyanza counties, with others coming from as far as Nairobi.

According to reliable sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, ODM began intensive mobilisation weeks ahead of the Sunday event in an effort to boost turnout. Party insiders say the urgency was partly driven by the strong showing of the “Linda Mwanaichi” brigade, which held a rally in Kisumu about a month earlier.

“I was among those approached to help hype the event on my social media pages, but I turned down the offer because I am aligned to another political outfit. I did not want to confuse my followers, who already see me as loyal to that camp,” stated the source.

He added that influencers were offered Sh10,000, with negotiations pushing the figure up to Sh20,000 for posts across social media platforms, including WhatsApp groups.

The party also leaned heavily on grassroots officials and aspirants seeking elective positions under its ticket to mobilise supporters. Hired school buses and trucks were used to ferry crowds to Kirembe Grounds for the Sunday rally.

“Mobilisers are paid differently depending on who engages you. Most arrangements come through handlers of senior party officials,” the source said, adding that mobilisers received between Sh1,500 to Sh4,500, while attendees were paid between Sh200 and Sh1,000.

On Saturday, a group of youths believed to be supporters of Migori Governor Ochillo Ayacko sparked online attention after sharing photos and videos of their journey to Kisumu aboard sugarcane trucks.

Early this week, a group of youths from Homa Bay appeared in a viral video complaining that they were allegedly shortchanged by ODM agents who mobilised them to attend the Kisumu rally.

The youths said they were paid only Sh400 instead of the promised Sh3,000 after agreeing to travel from Homa Bay to Kisumu. They claimed they left home at around 4 a.m. and endured a long journey in a fleet of Probox vehicles.

“This is a joke. We left our homes very early in the morning. We have not eaten and have endured the sun the whole day only to be given Sh400,” one of the youths said.

According to political analyst Barack Muluka, the recent developments in ODM reflect declining trust in the party’s current leadership among its grassroots supporters. He argued that the shift in leadership dynamics has weakened internal cohesion and loyalty within the party.

Political awareness

Muluka said the public mood in Nyanza reflects a growing political awareness, which he argues has made traditional mobilisation strategies less effective.

He claimed that the “Linda Mwananchi” outfit represents what he considers the remaining authentic expression of the original ODM movement.

“In my view, the real ODM is sitting in what is called ‘Linda Mwananchi’. This other ODM is a decoy being used for other political interests. Oburu may be in charge on paper, but he is not the real captain. ODM supporters across the country know that is not the real ODM,” he said.

Similar sentiments were echoed by analyst Michael Oyuko, who argued that ODM has increasingly become disconnected from its grassroots base, forcing leaders to rely on inducements to draw crowds to events.

“The party left its supporters behind. That is why they now have to ferry people to their functions, because supporters feel detached,” Oyuko said. He noted that Kisumu would ordinarily be expected to deliver strong natural turnout, given its historical support for the party.

However, Oburu has dismissed allegations of hiring crowds, insisting that what took place was standard mobilisation rather than paid attendance.

In an interview, the party leader said leaders only mobilised supporters to attend the rally, insisting that this did not amount to hiring cheering squads.

“Our party does not have money. It is not possible to hire people; you can only mobilise people to attend and that includes taking care of their transport,” said Oburu.

He further downplayed divisions within the party, saying efforts were ongoing to bring back what he termed as “rebels”. The group is said to include Siaya Governor James Orengo, Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, among others operating under the “Linda Mwanainchi” banner.

Governor Wanga also sought to calm the controversy, maintaining that the party remains strong and enjoys genuine grassroots support.