By Anderson Ojwang
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna was treated to his own dose at the party’s Central Committee meeting on Tuesday over his stand on the broad-based government.
Sifuna, who prior to the meeting had been referred to as a “balloon” by Siaya Senator and elder brother to ODM leader Raila Odinga, Dr. Oburu Oginga, found himself deflated at the meeting.
Sources told Western Insight that Sifuna found himself a lonely person at the meeting and listened as the riot act was read out to him.
Sources revealed that he was given the option of either to resign or adhere to the party policy and agenda.
“Sifuna was told to avoid public pronouncements that put him, the party and its leadership in conflict. He was told to respect the party structure and to remain a team player,” said our sources.
This explains why Sifuna, during the press conference, warned the journalists that he will not respond to any questions that bordered on rumors and will only stick to the party statement.
“I will read again to you the party position. I do not want to engage on rumors. Read the statement and that is the party position,” he said.
The party’s Central Committee resolved to continue working with President Ruto and called for the formation of a technical committee to oversee the implementation of the memorandum of understanding (MOU).
Sifuna’s dismissal of the working relationship between President William Ruto and Raila had placed the latter at a crossroad and was splitting the party.
Sifuna has also been accused of only being critical of Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi and his Energy counterpart Opiyo Wandayi, while he has maintained studious silence on other cabinet secretaries.
Raila was viewed to be “blowing hot and cold” over a broad-based arrangement, sending mixed signals that place him at a crossroad.
Raila is indeed fueling a rebellion in the party over his indecisiveness and contradictions, which has precipitated internal cannibalism.
Recently, during a recent NTV interview, Raila said he would support President William Ruto and the broad-based government up to 2027.
But a few days later, in a Citizen TV interview by ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, where he criticized the broad-based government and dismissed President Ruto’s administration, claiming the memorandum of understanding between ODM and UDA was dead, he sided with his SG.
Sifuna maintains that UDA has failed to implement the 10-point agenda as agreed with ODM, adding that it was time the orange outfit severed its links with the government.
The statement created a political storm in the party, and Raila, when in Kakamega for the party’s delegates meeting, came to the defense of Sifuna saying the SG was free to express himself and should not be vilified for his constitutional right.
Speaking in Kakamega, Raila defended Sifuna, stating that he has a right to express his opinion.
“It is not a must for people to have the same opinion, and we must defend the right to speak. If Sifuna has spoken, he has the right to do so, and if one feels they have a different opinion from what Sifuna is saying, then they should be free to say it. That is democracy,” Raila said.
This did not go down well with a section of Raila loyalists, including his elder brother Oburu Oginga, ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga, Leader of Minority in the Assembly Junet Mohammed, Chairperson of Budget Committee Sam Atandi, among other party leaders.
Over the weekend, Raila, faced by internal crisis, announced that the party will this week hold a special meeting to resolve the emerging concerns.
“We are going to sit down as a party and discuss this issue. We are going to use the proper organs of the party to come up with the solution. What was said by Sifuna was a personal opinion. The ODM opinion as a party will come as a result of discussions within the party organs,” he said.
Oburu said, “When Raila talked in Kakamega, he said Sifuna also has rights to express his personal views. I also have my right to make my views. And my views are that the arrangements we have with the Kenya Kwanza government is an arrangement which was mandated by the party ODM. If you are opposed to ODM and you want to bolt out, could you kindly put it officially to the party. I cannot accept for someone to abuse us. Can someone tell Sifuna to ask Ababu Namwamba, who was a powerful ODM Secretary General, what happened to him. You are just a balloon.”
Wanga said, “I am the national chairperson of ODM. Our leader is Raila, we know him and he has never lied to us. In March this year, we went to KICC and signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for broad-based government. We are in broad-based government and as the national chairperson, I want to say here, someone talking contrary to the party position is not talking on behalf of the party. He will need to explain to the party who has sent him,”.
Junet Mohammed said, “I am the minority leader at the parliament, we are in broad-based government. We don’t want confusion. We want development from this government. It is not time to make noise but to benefit from development. Party position on the MOU remains valid and that Central Committee is the organ that mandated for the MOU. We agreed in the committee for the signing of the MOU. If you want the MOU dead, kindly bring it back to Central Committee so that we can deliberate and declare it is dead. We will not allow it to die. We cannot allow someone to remove us from the broad-based government through unorthodox means. Where do you want us to go to? If you are tired, you are free to leave. At this moment, we are in broad-based government,”.
Kakamega Governor Fernades Barasa said, “Raila is very clear on the broad-based government. His stand is that ODM is in a broad-based government. Sifuna’s remarks are personal and not the position of the party”.
“As Kakamega people and the Western region, we cannot be stupid to start singing a different tune from the one we have. We are in the government to secure developments. We are having Chavakali to Malinya Road tarmacked, the maintenance of Kakamega Airstrip is now on course, and many other projects, and our stand is that we are in the government to stay,” said Ikolomani MP Benard Shinali.
Raila now finds himself at a crossroad and will have to bite the bullet on the broad-based government—whether to stick to his statement or side with Sifuna.
