By Anderson Ojwang
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) National Executive Council (NEC) has sacked Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna as the Secretary General and party spokesperson with immediate effect.
The move follows a protracted battle between the faction allied to party leader Dr. Oburu Oginga and Sifuna over the pre-election coalition pact with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
In a statement, ODM said: “Party National Executive Committee meeting in Mombasa today has resolved to relieve Secretary General Edwin Sifuna of his responsibilities with immediate effect. Effectively, Catherine Omanyo, who is one of the deputy secretary generals, will act in this position until a substantive holder of the office is elected.”
A besieged Oburu, in an earlier statement, said ODM was a members’ club and those in it must abide by the rules of membership.
Oburu had invited NEC members for a meeting meant to crack the whip on Sifuna, Deputy Party Leader Geoffrey Osotsi and his younger sister Ruth Odinga.
“The minority will have their say but the majority will have their way and so those with dissenting voices must respect the wishes of the majority. Democracy must be guided,” he said.
The move is likely to further divide the party, with Sifuna, Siaya Governor James Orengo and MP Babu Owino likely to walk away with a section of supporters following the recent Linda Mwananchi rally in Busia.
Oburu and his faction, including National Chairperson Gladys Wanga and Deputy Party Leaders Abdulswammad Nassir and Simba Arati, among others, may retain control of the party but with fewer followers.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi at the weekend demanded that Sifuna be sacked from ODM to pave the way for the coalition alliance with President Ruto.
Mama Ida Odinga recently appealed to the party leadership not to destroy the party and urged them to prioritize dialogue over wrangles to prevent it from disintegrating and to preserve Raila’s legacy.
“It is my wish that we can preserve the party in his honor as a matter of service to our country. I want to appeal to those Baba left in the leadership of the party to reflect deeply and sincerely on his dreams for the party and for our country,” she said.
Ida challenged the current leaders to give dialogue a chance and follow Raila’s footsteps in resolving disputes within the party.
“Let us solve the problems of the party by always asking ourselves, what would Baba do under these circumstances? I am sure Baba would tell us let us sit down and talk. That is my wish, to sit down and talk through our differences,” she said.
Earlier, Migori Senator Eddy Oketch had petitioned party organs to take disciplinary action against Sifuna over his stand on the broad-based alliance.
In a previous meeting, Oburu had described Sifuna as espousing the party’s democratic ideals.
“I met with my friend, Senator Edwin Sifuna, the Secretary General of the ODM Party, this morning. He remains a sober and principled voice, embodying the democratic ideals we believe in as a party,” he wrote on his X handle.
Oburu then said the party was united and encouraged everyone to speak their mind, saying that was the foundation upon which ODM was formed.
“We are one. We are united as the ODM Party. As a leader, I believe we must encourage everyone to speak their mind. Differences of opinion do not mean division. Great parties—like ODM—grow through robust debate and unique challenges,” he said at the time.
Recently, a section of ODM legislators alarmed by what they termed self-cannibalization in the party requested Oburu to convene an urgent meeting to contain the self-destruct situation.
The MPs, led by ODM Vice National Chairman Dr. Otiende Amolo, said the wrangles were worrying and a betrayal of the party’s founder, the late Raila Odinga.
“It is testament to how much we miss the wisdom and iconic leadership of our departed Rt Hon Raila Odinga, that divisive rhetoric has taken over our politics, without restraint,” read the statement.
Sifuna dismissed attempts to kick him out of the party, saying those pushing for his removal had no capacity to eject him.
He said the plot to remove him was a result of his opposition to efforts by a section of party officials and members to support President Ruto’s second term.
The fallout was worsened by a recent TV interview where Sifuna claimed ODM was receiving parallel funding for the Linda Ground engagements.
In another interview, Sifuna said the Kilifi Central Management Committee had ratified that the party engages in coalition talks with various political formations.
“The resolution of the Kilifi meeting is clear and specific. It said the party should embark on coalition formation with other political formations in the country. There is nowhere it talked about UDA as the only formation. We expect to engage all political formations in the country with a view to a possible alliance,” he said.
Sifuna added that ODM, as one of the oldest parties in the country, was prepared to present a presidential candidate and quoted the late Raila Odinga saying, “Who told you ODM will not have a presidential candidate in 2027?”
He also maintained that Dr. Oburu and his team were serving on an interim basis and would need ratification by the National Delegates Conference.
In a press statement, Oburu said they were substantively in office and dismissed Sifuna’s claims that they were interim officials.
Oburu wrote: “We want to state categorically that all party officials are serving substantively and are supported by party organ resolutions. ODM has, since its inception, demonstrated fidelity to its constitution and to the rule of law. The same principle has put every individual in their rightful positions, including that of Senator Sifuna.”
Sifuna also revealed that the funds and resources being used in the ongoing Linda Ground engagements did not come from the party headquarters.
“The money and the resources you see being spent on the ODM rallies called Linda Ground do not come from ODM headquarters. I can only account for the monies because I am a signatory to the bank accounts, together with Timothy Bosire. The last money we expended officially as ODM was for the celebration in Mombasa, and it was a fraction of what you saw there,” he said.
