Goonocracy in Action: Why ODM Is Using Hired Muscle to Block Sifuna in Its Bases

The widening rift within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has descended into open physical hostility, with senior party operatives weaponizing the ongoing feud between Raila Odinga’s legacy faction and Rigathi Gachagua to systematically bar Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna from traditional party strongholds.

Following his removal as Secretary-General and his decision to spearhead the Linda Mwananchi Movement, Sifuna has faced a wave of organized hostility across key ODM territories. From disrupted public rallies in the Coast to tense standoffs in Western Kenya, party stalwarts are increasingly relying on hired youth and organized gangs to enforce physical “no-go zones” for dissident leaders.

Sifuna recently exposed the strategy, confirming that his team has repeatedly been forced to navigate hostile receptions where paid groups were deployed to physically assault his delegation and disrupt public appearances.

Political analysts note that the reliance on “goonism” highlights a deep structural weakness within major party machinery. When political operators can no longer win the battle of ideas or guarantee unquestioned loyalty in regional bases, physical coercion becomes the quickest shortcut to project authority and suppress competing narratives.

By framing Sifuna’s engagements with Gachagua as a strategic betrayal, party loyalists are using the ongoing political feud to justify violent barricades. However, as intimidation replaces democratic debate, critics warn that using party goons to enforce stronghold loyalty risks alienating a younger generation of voters who demand issue-based politics over mob intimidation.

source: https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2026-10-23-how-odm-plots-to-lock-sifuna-out-of-railas-bases

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