Sifuna speech interrupted as police try to access NDC

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna's speech disrupted/SCREENGRAB

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s speech was briefly interrupted during an ODM meeting at Ufungamano House in Nairobi after police officers attempted to access the venue where a parallel National Delegates Conference (NDC) was being held by the Linda Mwananchi group.

The disruption occurred shortly after Sifuna began addressing delegates, forcing a temporary pause in his speech.

Several police officers were seen moving toward the entrance of the venue in what appeared to be an attempt to gain access to the meeting.

The officers attempted to approach the hall while proceedings were underway, prompting immediate reactions from attendees who shouted back at the police and urged them not to interfere with the gathering.

Sifuna, who was at the podium at the time, appealed for calm while directly addressing the officers and asking them not to disrupt what he described as a peaceful meeting.

“Police sasa nyinyi hamjakubaliwa kuingia hapa tafadhali. Tafadhali polisi msiharibu mkutano wetu,” Sifuna said.

(Police, you have not been allowed to enter here, please. Please, do not disrupt our meeting.)

He emphasised that the meeting was peaceful and urged the officers to respect the gathering and allow delegates to continue with their deliberations without interruption.

“We respect you, we are your brothers, we are peaceful. Please do not disrupt our meeting. Why are you entering? Where are you going? Please, if you have a leader who wants to speak, he can come and we will hand him the microphone,” he said.

Several attendees were seen recording the incident on their mobile phones as the brief standoff between police and delegates unfolded at the entrance of the hall.

At one point, Sifuna sought the audience’s position on whether the meeting should proceed despite the disruption.

“Achaneni mkutano wetu uendelee? Uendelee usiendelee?” he asked.

Delegates responded loudly, chanting “Uendelee, uendelee,” signaling their support for the continuation of the meeting.

Sifuna reiterated that the parallel NDC was being conducted peacefully and there was no reason for police interference, maintaining that the gathering was lawful and orderly.

The parallel NDC at Ufungamano House is part of ongoing internal wrangles within ODM, with the Linda Mwananchi group organising a separate delegates’ conference amid disagreements over party leadership and direction.

ODM leaders allied to the group have maintained that the meeting is aimed at engaging members and addressing internal party issues, while insisting that their gathering is lawful and protected under the Constitution.