Sifuna Breaks Silence on ODM Wrangles, Focuses on Party Future
A fresh wave of debate is sweeping through the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) – and at the centre of it all is the question of whether Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna is more interested in his own ambitions or the long-term strength of the party.
Speaking on radio on Thursday April 30th 2026, in a pretty candid interview, the ODM Secretary General had to fend off speculation that he’s been eyeing bigger roles within ODM. And he made it clear right away that he’s not so much worried about his own career – he’s more focused on making sure the party stays healthy.
“It’s About the Party, Not Me”
Sifuna was blunt – he said that when he made those comments at the burial of Raila Odinga, he wasn’t out to promote himself, he was just speaking from the heart. To him, his words then were genuine, not some grandstanding exercise.
“Look, the main thing is not whether Sifuna gets to be SG, it’s if the party keeps moving forward because what I said at Raila’s burial is what I really believe in,” he said.
ODM to him isn’t just some party – it’s a cause, a legacy that needs to outlive individual leaders if it’s going to stay relevant. He points to Raila Odinga as someone who was instrumental in getting multiparty democracy off the ground in Kenya – and says ODM needs to be able to keep going even after the big names are gone.
“And for me, ODM is one of Raila’s lasting legacies, as a man who believed in multiparty democracy, who actually fought for it. He thought that parties needed to be stronger, that they should be around for good – the party has to outlast us all,” Sifuna said.
Ready to Step Aside If Needed
And in a move that caught everyone off guard, Sifuna said that he’d even be willing to give up his current position as a sacrificial lamb for the party’s good.
“I was prepared to write a letter to Oburu, and say – let one of you lot pick a new SG,” he said, referring to Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga.
It’s a pretty clear signal that he’s putting the needs of the party above his own ambitions – an approach that, at a time when party succession battles are getting more heated by the day, makes him stand out from the rest.
Rising Tensions Inside ODM
Behind the scenes, things are getting pretty heated within the party – with a bunch of different factions fighting for control. With Raila Odinga taking a step back, questions about the future and leadership are getting more and more intense.
Sifuna, though, has been one of the key voices within the ‘Linda Mwananchi’ faction, which is pretty clearly opposed to the party leadership getting cozy with President William Ruto ahead of the 2027 elections.
War of Words: Omanyo vs Odhiambo
The latest dust-up in the ODM party happened after a couple of public barbs flew back and forth between Busia Senator Catherine Omanyo and Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo.
The trouble started when Odhiambo – a long-time ODM supporter and hard-core ODM loyalist – went and said something that really got people talking. She warned that some of the newer, younger members within the party were getting a bit too big for their britches, using the phrase “younger elements” to describe them. It was pretty clear she had Edwin Sifuna in her sights.
But Omanyo didn’t take the high road – she fired back saying that Odhiambo was basically trying to block any new faces from getting a chance to shine in the party.
It was a pretty direct criticism, calling out Odhiambo’s stance as “gatekeeping” and warning that if the party kept on stifling new voices then it was in for a world of trouble.
“We cant keep on being a party that eats its own young,” she said.
“Edwin Sifuna has brought some real energy to ODM – something the party was missing for years. Suggesting that he’s got an ambition problem is basically saying that the party’s got no future.”
Odhiambo though has been sticking to her guns and saying that party unity is far more important than trying to shake things up. She reckons that “loyalty and seniority” are the glue that holds the party together.
A Party at a Crossroads
The fact that this is all happening right now is pretty critical – especially given Raila’s bid for the African Union Commission chair. Right now ODM is at a turning point, trying to figure out how to hand the reins over to a new leader while keeping the party together in one piece.
Sifuna’s stance is a good example of the kind of generational change that’s going on within ODM right now. He’s all about focusing on urban issues, using social media to get people on board, and getting away from the party’s traditional tribal politics. But the big question is – can the party balance all that experience with some real new blood without falling apart at the seams.
In Other News: Inside ODM’s Growing Divisions as Olekina Prepares Nyanza Comeback Tour
Sifuna Breaks Silence on ODM Wrangles, Focuses on Party Future
