Sifuna Chants Rock Tononoka Oburu’s ODM Rally in Mombasa

Sifuna Tononoka rally chants took over the airwaves Sunday in Mombasa, as a sparse crowd at the party’s official gathering turned the event into an unexpected tribute to the ousted secretary general, leaving the stage leaders scrambling.

The scene at Tononoka Grounds unfolded unexpectedly. What was billed as a major outreach for the Orange Democratic Movement’s coastal wing – pushing grassroots momentum across six counties – drew far fewer people than expected.

Party heavyweights like Oburu Oginga, the leader standing, rolled in with Gladys Wanga, Junet Mohamed, Oketch Salah and a slew of MPs. They aimed to rally support for the “broad-based” alliance with President Ruto’s government, talking unity and development.

But from the jump, the vibe felt off. Trucks decked out with Ruto and Hassan Joho’s faces lined the roads, but the field stayed quiet. Only a handful of supporters trickled in, many locals whispering about skimpy mobilisation cash that couldn’t pull the usual numbers.

Then it happened. As Oburu stepped up to speak, voices from the back started low: “Sifuna! Sifuna!” It built quickly, like a wave crashing in from the Indian Ocean nearby. The chants drowned out the mic, turning heads and forcing pauses.

Videos captured it all – phones held high, faces lit with defiance, repeating the name of Edwin Sifuna, the Nairobi senator booted from his SG post just days earlier.

Youth in the mix briefly disrupted things too, shouting down the pro-alliance talk before security nudged them back. Oburu attempted to adapt by making a joke about party family disputes, but the tone was entirely inappropriate. This wasn’t backing the elders; it was a clear shout-out to the rebel side.

Cut to the bigger picture, and it’s no shock. ODM’s splitting at the seams, with Sifuna leading a “Linda Mwananchi” push against what he calls a sellout to Ruto. His crew held a rival rally in Kitengela that morning, pulling thousands despite teargas chaos that scattered the crowd mid-speech.

Babu Owino flanked him, fists pumping as they vowed to fight the ouster in court. Side-by-side clips went viral: packed fields in Kajiado versus empty patches in Mombasa.

One fan post nailed it: “Sifuna in Kitengela vs Oburu in Tononoka – when we say ODM is Sifuna, we mean it.” Another laughed off the flop: “ODM Tangatanga in Mombasa bombed hard – Sifuna’s shadow looms large.”

Our reporter caught up with a few Mombasa folks who’d skipped the event. One vendor near the grounds shrugged it off over chai. “Money talks, but loyalty doesn’t buy it,” he said.

“People here remember Sifuna’s fire from the streets. Oburu’s words feel old.” Turnout woes aren’t new – past rallies have fizzled for the same reason: transport cash drying up or not reaching the right hands.

But this? It stung extra, especially with the coast’s history of ODM strongholds. The outreach was meant to lock in votes ahead of 2027, yet chants for the outcast stole the show.

His allies piled on, sharing memes of empty chairs labelled “Broad-based dreams”. Even Oburu stayed mum, but insiders hint he’s watching closely – family ties to Oburu run deep, yet Sifuna’s pull with youth can’t be ignored.

Wanga, the Homa Bay woman rep who’s climbed fast, tried steering back to women’s issues, but the crowd thinned faster than the applause.

This dust-up fits the week’s wild ride. Courts halted Sifuna’s full removal Friday, buying time for appeals. Osotsi, the deputy leader, even accused Ruto of twisting arms behind the scenes.

Now, with rival events clashing head-on, ODM’s looking more like a house divided than a united front. Chants like these? They’re a gut check for the party’s soul.

By afternoon, the grounds cleared out under a hot sun, leaving banners limp and mics silent. Online, though, it’s raging #SisiNdioSifuna trending with clips from both spots.

One video showed supporters ditching early, heading home with shrugs. “Why show for peanuts?” a guy muttered on camera. It’s raw, real talk from a base that’s tired of top-down calls.

For Kenyans tuning in from afar, this is politics unfiltered: egos, echoes, and echoes of what might have been. Sifuna’s not on stage, but his name rang out louder than any speech.

As Oburu’s team packs up for the next county, one thing’s plain – the fight for ODM’s heart is far from over. And in places like Tononoka, the crowd’s already picked a side.