ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna is under increasing pressure from within his own party following his remarks that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ODM and UDA is “dead.” The latest to criticise him is Uriri MP Mark Nyamita, who on Thursday accused Sifuna of hypocrisy and political inconsistency.
Speaking during a televised interview, Nyamita questioned Sifuna’s integrity, pointing out that as ODM Secretary General, he had no moral ground to denounce an agreement he willingly signed.
“Sifuna portrays himself as someone without a conscience. If you didn’t believe in the MoU from the beginning, why did you sign it?” posed Nyamita. “If you don’t believe in the association, simply bolt out. It is simple.”
Nyamita emphasised that party leader Raila Odinga had already charted a constitutional course for any political contest with President William Ruto, stressing the need to wait for the 2027 general elections.
“Sifuna failed to offer any valid reason to justify the premature push for President Ruto’s removal,” Nyamita added.
He also criticised Sifuna’s dismissal of government-led development projects, particularly the dualling of the Nairobi–Malaba–Busia highway. The Nairobi Senator had argued that calls for Ruto’s removal were more pressing than such infrastructural undertakings. Nyamita disagreed, saying development remains a key priority for rural constituencies.
“For those of us in the countryside, we welcome any effort by government to address long-standing infrastructure issues,” he said.
The dispute stems from Sifuna’s remarks during a recent interview where he declared the ODM-UDA MoU defunct, citing ongoing police brutality including the death of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang in police custody on June 8.
Sifuna insisted that the deal hinged on two pillars: the protection of lives and the safeguarding of democracy. While democratic space still existed, he argued, the continued loss of innocent lives rendered the pact meaningless.
“I am not a mortician,” Sifuna said, declining to participate in a review of the agreement. “There is no point in going through a document I’ve already declared dead.”
