Amid party turmoil, Edwin Sifuna says he’s staying put and won’t resign from ODM leadership

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has affirmed that he will not step down as secretary-general of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), even as he acknowledged growing confusion within the party over its ongoing ties with President William Ruto’s administration.

In an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday, Sifuna said party leader Raila Odinga’s recent comments signalling support for President Ruto until 2027 represent ODM’s official position. However, he warned that this alignment could compromise the party’s ability to effectively prepare for the next General Election.

“So what he says is the position of the party. And for me, really, as SG of ODM, my worry is that if you stick with the current government until 2027, then you really don’t have the time to be able to prepare the party for elections,” he said.

Sifuna emphasised that ODM has already committed to fielding a presidential candidate in 2027 and cautioned that continued close ties with President Ruto’s administration could leave the party unprepared for the race.

“Preparation for elections takes time, and the worry would be that we would have lost that opportunity to not only extricate ourselves from this very unpopular regime but also to explain to the people what we’ve been doing with Ruto all these years and why we are back to ask for the mandate of the people,” he said.

Internal democracy

Despite affirming that the official party position includes him as secretary-general, Sifuna pointed out that ODM’s internal democracy allows for dissenting voices.

“The good thing with ODM is that we are allowed to file objections to the positions that are taken by the party. You are allowed to sound warnings, to sound alarms and to say that, in your view. We need to have sufficient time to explain to the people not only what we have been doing with Ruto but what we intend to do for the country if we are to present a candidate in 2027,” he said.

He noted that many within ODM believe the party still stands a good chance of winning the presidency in 2027.

“My position has always been that ODM stands a very good chance to win the elections in 2027, and that we have good people in this party who can run the country, and that ODM has always been a force for good,” Sifuna said.

Sifuna expressed disbelief over why some ODM members support extending the party’s working relationship with the Kenya Kwanza administration beyond 2027.

“I don’t understand those within our ranks who don’t see us as a viable option to the Kenya Kwanza government, who want us to yoke ourselves to KK even beyond 2027,” he lamented.

Fight for party’s future

He affirmed that he still has faith in the ODM grassroots and would continue to fight for the party’s future.

“The reason I will not resign yet is because I’ve not given up. I have not given up on members of ODM because ODM is a mass movement. ODM has a followership, registered membership of over five million people, and when you speak to a majority of those people, there is still belief and trust within the ranks of the party that Baba knows what is right for the people, that he will do the right thing,” Sifuna said.

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• Edwin Sifuna says he’s staying put and won’t resign from ODM leadership

Sifuna added that his personal loyalty to party leader Raila Odinga and the party prevents him from walking away.

However, he admitted that confusion within ODM is at an all-time high.

“I have known one political leader all my life… I have listened to Raila Odinga all these years, and ODM as an institution has existed for 20 years. You cannot just give up and say you are going to quit on all that membership,” he said.

“There’s a lot of confusion. I have told my party leader there was a time when it was very easy to be SG of ODM… right now there is a lot of confusion, because I come to these shows and to public barazas, and I struggle to explain that we are the same political party.”

Apology

Sifuna apologised to ODM supporters over the leadership’s failure to provide clear direction.

“I want to apologise to members of ODM today for all the confusion we as a leadership have caused because it is very difficult now to discern the position of ODM on major issues. That is my biggest sadness, because it should be easy,” he said.

He cited the party’s mixed signals on civil rights as an example.

“If you woke me up in the middle of the night and asked me my position on devolution, my position on rights and Article 37, I would give you an answer straight away. But now, members of ODM who used to hold senior positions now speak as cabinet secretaries and say the exact opposite. It leaves our supporters confused,” he decried.

When asked why he remains in office despite his frustrations, Sifuna said he still holds hope of restoring order within the party.

“I have not given up. I believe in my own power of persuasion, even within the party, to be able to pull the train back on its tracks. On the day that I give up, I will tell you publicly that I have lost the battle to rescue this party and to bring it back to where it was. Until we cross that bridge, I will keep fighting for ODM,” he said.