By Anderson Ojwang
At the altar of Maxwell SDA Church in Nairobi, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna confessed that it is only through God’s grace that he remains the Secretary General of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Sifuna also credited the former Homa Bay Senator, the late Otieno Kajwang’s three-point matrix for his survival in the party, which is currently facing turbulence after the demise of party leader Raila Odinga last month.
“Today, I stand here as the Secretary General of ODM by the grace of God and the three-point matrix of Otieno Kajwang — fidelity, loyalty, and faithfulness to the party and the party leader,” he said.
Sifuna spoke during the prayer service for the late Dr. Rose Otieno, wife of the former Immigration Minister.
Sifuna had in the past to contend with calls that he resign and quit ODM over his stand and opposition to the Broad-Based Government arrangement.
A team led by ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga, Parliamentary Minority Whip Junet Mohammed, and Budget Chairman Sam Atandi had opposed his stance.
Sifuna, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, and Saboti MP Caleb Hamisi have been critical of the arrangement.
Before Raila’s death, while at an ODM function in Kakamega, he came to the defense of Sifuna, saying he had a constitutional right to speak his mind on important matters.
President William Ruto’s senior constitutional affairs adviser, Makau Mutua — an ally of Raila — on August 20, 2025, on his X handle, asked Sifuna to resign as Secretary General of the party, saying Sifuna’s position had become “untenable” and that the honorable thing to do would be to resign.
“My good, learned friend and Senator Edwin Sifuna appears to be in an untenable position as SG of the ODM party. It seems to me that the honorable thing for him to do, if he’s a man of principle, is to resign from his post — which almost never happens in Kenya, unless one is sacked.”
In an earlier TV interview, Sifuna said he would not resign because he had not given up on members of ODM and that the party is a mass movement.
“I will not resign because I have not given up on ODM, and ODM is a mass movement. ODM has a registered membership of over 5 million members.
If you speak to the people, they say Baba knows what is right for the people and that he will do the right thing.
The vast majority of ODM members believe in their ability to pull the train back on track. I have known one political leader in my life. I have only listened to Raila Odinga all these years. ODM has existed for 20 years. You cannot just give up on that membership.
The day I give up, I will tell the members I have lost the battle to rescue the party. We shall have lost collectively as members of ODM because I cannot do this thing myself,” he said.
With the appointment of Dr. Oburu Oginga as the acting party leader, he has thawed political tension and extended an olive branch to the disgruntled group.
Oburu recently summoned Babu to a meeting and said the party will only offer its ticket to party members and not outsiders.
During a TV interview on Sunday, November 2, Oburu said this was not the time for any ODM member to be ousted and emphasized the need for unity within the party, noting that every member has an important role to play.
“This is not the time to talk about the ouster of any ODM member. This is the time to bring unity in the party, and we need all members, including Sifuna, who in my view is doing a good job.
When Edwin Sifuna said whatever, he said, he was within his rights to say so because that is the correct position on the matter; he is not isolated. How can you be isolated when I am telling you that is the position?” he quipped.
Homa Bay MP Opondo Kaluma had earlier in July demanded that Sifuna must resign or be thrown out of the party.
“He must resign or be thrown out of the ODM party. The faster this happens, the better,” Kaluma said in a statement posted on his X account on July 9, 2025.
Sifuna has maintained that ODM must keep its identity in this month’s by-elections and the 2027 general election.
“Baba told us to keep our identity. My party is ODM and the symbol is the orange. We must keep that identity.
Some people are telling us that in the by-election this November, there are candidates for Broad-Based. Broad-Based is not a political party. Because it is not a political party, it doesn’t have candidates.
You people have worked hard to secure votes, and there are voters who walk to the polling station without knowing the name of the candidate but only know the party.
There are those who go to vote because of Baba and the orange symbol. I want to vote for the orange candidate.
Kindly tell me what is the color and symbol of Broad-Based, so that when a voter comes and says he wants to vote for a
Broad-Based candidate, where do you take him?
We don’t have a Broad-Based candidate. It is not a party. Leaders should not bring confusion to voters,” he said.
