Sifuna cornered as Raila, ODM top guns rally behind Ruto

ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna has found himself in a lone corner as the party’s top guns resolved to continue working with President William Ruto’s government.

The central committee meeting chaired by ODM boss Raila Odinga, was in response to the recent turbulence in the party regarding its association with Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza.

Sifuna has been vocal in his opposition to any working arrangement with Ruto’s UDA, claiming the continued partnership ‘hurts’ the opposition party.

“After frank and open deliberations, the committee adopted that the party supports the position of party leader Raila Odinga to work with the Kenya Kwanza administration to stabilise the country and create an enabling environment for Kenyans to address their concerns through democratic and constitutional means,” Sifuna, who read the resolution, said yesterday.

“That while the members arrived here with different viewpoints on many issues within the party and the country, the committee brokered an unbreakable unity of purpose in the party and a single-minded focus on ensuring that ODM continues to be a loyal servant of the people and the country, acting in the best interest of its supporters and the nation and committed to the agenda of national transformation and stability.”

The statement now marks a shift in tone for Sifuna, who had earlier criticised the UDA-ODM pact as "dead".

Sources who attended the meeting said Raila maintained a firm tone, rallying members to look at the bigger national picture.

The ODM boss reportedly defended his truce with Ruto, saying it was all for the sake of the nation.

The Orange Party has faced serious internal wrangles, with a section of party officials—led by Sifuna—demanding that the outfit pulls out of the marriage.

The Nairobi senator even threatened to resign if the party resolved to support Ruto in 2027.

“I have not resigned from the party as the SG because I still believe there is still some glimmer of hope and my party will eventually see the merger as untenable and will be back to defend and protect the people, the ground on which the party was built,” Sifuna said during an interview with Citizen TV.

“If the party decides to go ahead with the merger in 2027, then I will have no option but to resign as the SG.”

The comments, interpreted as veering off the ODM script, especially after Raila indicated the possibility of rallying the party behind Ruto’sre-election.

His remarks triggered backlash within the party, with growing calls for his resignation.

The central committee also agreed to form a technical team to review the teething problems that have exposed the almost one-year political deal.

“That in order to expedite the implementation of the 10-point agenda of the MoU, ODM will constitute a technical team to work with UDA counterparts as part of the political infrastructure to assist with the implementation of the agreement,” Sifuna noted.

“The committee identified the absence of such a technical committee, which is contained in the MoU, as the missing link in the implementation of the document. Of great concern is the full implementation of the Nadco report, promotion and protection of the livelihoods of young people, the right to peaceful assembly and protests, the rule of law and constitutionalism, corruption and wastage of public resources,” the statement reads.

The session brought together minority leaders from the bicameral Parliament, party’s national leadership and key party operatives.

Some of the leaders who attended the meeting included deputy party leaders Godfrey Osotsi and Abdulswamad Nassir, minority leader Junet Mohammed, national chairman Gladys Wanga, youth president John Ketora and women league chairperson Beth Syengo.

The ODM party has announced its intention to participate in all upcoming by-elections across the country.

“We have been presented with a schedule of all upcoming by-elections and the resolution of this committee is that ODM will fully participate in all of them,” Sifuna said.

The party's decision now puts to rest speculation over whether ODM would collaborate with other parties in fielding candidates for the upcoming by-elections.

Sifuna also affirmed that the party will continue with its grassroots elections and the ‘ODM@20’ celebrations.

According to Sifuna, these efforts are part of the broader strategy to rejuvenate, reorganise and strengthen the party from within.

There are a total of 23 pending by-elections for various seats that the newly constituted IEBC is preparing to conduct.

The party also resolved to continue pushing for higher allocation to counties and transferring all the devolved functions still being held by the national government.

“That while the party acknowledges the allocation of Sh415 billion to counties as an improvement on the previous disbursement, we will continue pushing for the raising of the allocation to a minimum of Sh450 billion or more, as had been proposed by party leader Raila Odinga,” Sifuna said.

“That the party continues to demand the implementation of the unbundling of devolved functions and requisite and constitutionally sanctioned resources to the counties.”

The party also threw its weight behind the intergenerational talks being pushed by Raila to deliberate on pressing issues affecting the nation.

“That the party supports calls for an inter-generational national conference to deliberate on the issues affecting the nation with particular focus on youth agenda and agree on a way forward,” the party resolved.