Why I attended the Ruto-Raila agreement signing—Sifuna

Why I attended the Ruto-Raila agreement signing—Sifuna

Sifuna stated that he was at the event in his official role as ODM Secretary General. He emphasised that the party took the initiative to publicly share the details of the agreement to ensure transparency.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has explained why he attended the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between President Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi.

Speaking on Friday, Sifuna stated that he was at the event in his official role as ODM Secretary General. He emphasised that the party took the initiative to publicly share the details of the agreement to ensure transparency.

"In the capacity as SG, I have certain constitutional duties, and that is why I am standing here to execute those duties in accordance with the constitution of ODM. We have taken the liberty to read out this memorandum of understanding so that we are clear on what it is and what it is not," he said.

Sifuna, who is also the Nairobi senator, added that Kenya has struggled with prolonged political crises that have slowed development, and the agreement was meant to create a platform for cooperation between UDA and ODM.

"Kenya has faced a long period of political crisis that has hampered development. Ruto and Raila, as leaders of the largest parties, acknowledge the need for a broad platform to collaborate and address these long-standing challenges," he added.

His remarks come about two months after he criticised President Ruto, asserting that he was bound to lose the 2027 general election even with ODM's support.

Speaking during an interview on January 9, 2025, Sifuna argued that Ruto’s electoral success would depend on his popularity rather than the number of political leaders backing him.

“I can speak authoritatively that there is no agreement between ODM and UDA about 2027. If you are unpopular, it does not matter how many leaders you bring around you. We will lose the election with Ruto even if we supported him as ODM," he said.

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