Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has clarified that the party remains firmly outside government, despite a recent cooperation agreement with President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza coalition. Speaking during the funeral of Kasipul MP Charles Were in Oyugis, Homa Bay County, Sifuna dismissed claims that the opposition party had joined the ruling administration.
Sifuna stated that while ODM has seconded several experts to serve in government advisory roles and Cabinet positions, the party itself has not become part of the ruling coalition. “Baba told me that even after we donated our experts to the government, ODM is not in government. He said it himself,” said Sifuna, referencing ODM leader Raila Odinga. “If ODM is not in government, the secretary general of ODM cannot be in government.”
His remarks come in the wake of a March 7, 2025 memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Ruto and Odinga at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), signaling a new era of political collaboration. The agreement, labeled the formation of a “broad-based government,” is aimed at tackling critical national challenges, including mounting public debt, corruption, and economic instability.
The cooperation followed widespread unrest across the country in mid-2024, sparked by unpopular tax hikes. The protests, largely led by disillusioned youth, resulted in the deaths of at least 60 people, prompting the Ruto administration to seek political calm by engaging the opposition.
As part of this engagement, ODM figures were appointed to key Cabinet posts, including John Mbadi (Treasury), Opiyo Wandayi (Energy), Hassan Joho (Mining), Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives), and Beatrice Askul (Arid and Semi-Arid Lands). However, Sifuna emphasized that these appointments are strategic and do not signal ODM’s absorption into the government.
“All political parties are interested in ascending to power,” Sifuna added, reaffirming ODM’s long-term objective to lead Kenya. He also reiterated his personal loyalty to Raila Odinga and dismissed speculation about the party abandoning its opposition role.
The message was clear: ODM may cooperate, but it has not conceded its ambitions.
