Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has defended his record in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), saying he tried to keep the party united after Raila Odinga’s death but was frustrated by decisions he claims were being made outside its established structures.
Sifuna said the party had undergone a major transformation since the death of its former leader, creating uncertainty among members who no longer felt represented by its political direction. Having served as ODM Secretary General for nine years, he said he had made genuine efforts to reconcile rival factions and preserve the party’s unity, in line with a promise he made during Raila’s burial.
“I want Baba, wherever he is, to know that I actually kept my promise during his burial not to be the one to wreck his party,” Sifuna said, maintaining that he had done his best to bring the leadership together.
He recalled numerous mediation efforts involving party trustees and senior officials, including a meeting at the home of Raila’s widow, Ida Odinga, during which she appealed to the leadership to resolve their differences. Sifuna said the interventions initially appeared to be making progress but were repeatedly undermined by decisions that contradicted resolutions reached during the meetings.
He argued that the disagreements reflected a broader problem within ODM, claiming that members were increasingly expected to implement decisions made elsewhere rather than participate in shaping the party’s direction.
The senator also criticised the circumstances surrounding his removal as Secretary General in February, maintaining that the party had failed to follow its own constitution. He said he challenged the decision before the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, which he claimed found fault with the process and directed the parties to adhere to the party constitution.
Sifuna added that he later sought arbitration but was turned down, accusing the party of establishing a separate disciplinary body instead of referring his case to its standing disciplinary committee chaired by Rama Abubakar. He questioned why an alternative process was adopted and said he had also sought the tribunal’s intervention over the disciplinary proceedings.
Despite the dispute, Sifuna said he had no intention of formally resigning from ODM, even though he would not seek another term in the Senate under its ticket. He insists that remaining an ODM member is not incompatible with seeking a different political platform for the 2027 General Election.
“I am still a member of ODM. I have not resigned. I am just saying I will not run on ODM in 2027,” he said.
Sifuna claimed that President William Ruto now wielded influence over ODM, arguing that the party’s political direction no longer aligned with his ambitions. He also questioned why he was being urged to resign from the Senate before seeking election under another party, pointing to previous political shifts by other leaders.
The senator argued that resigning his seat ahead of the 2027 elections would force taxpayers to fund an additional election unnecessarily. He maintained that Nairobi voters had elected him on the ODM ticket for a five-year term and that he was entitled to complete his mandate.
Sifuna is now advancing The Equitable Party (TEP), which has been identified as his political vehicle ahead of the next General Election. The party is expected to be rebranded in line with the Linda Mwananchi Movement.
He said his immediate priority was to establish grassroots networks, complete work on the party’s headquarters and address registration requirements with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties. According to Sifuna, coalition negotiations would only begin after those organisational priorities had been addressed.
His position comes as Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka’s The Ukombozi Alliance seeks to consolidate opposition forces ahead of the 2027 polls. Sifuna and his allies have been building the Linda Mwananchi Movement amid the dispute with ODM’s leadership, with the senator emerging as TEP’s presidential candidate in September.
He said the movement would continue laying its political foundations before engaging in wider discussions about alliances and the next election.
