ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna is navigating an increasingly fraught political landscape as his party deepens its cooperation with President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration. Despite publicly disowning the March 7 Memorandum of Understanding between ODM and UDA as “dead,” Sifuna found himself in the uncomfortable position of reading out the party’s resolution affirming support for Ruto’s government.
The party’s top leadership, including Raila Odinga, recently resolved to maintain their collaborative stance with the ruling coalition—citing national stability and democratic space as key motivators. During a press briefing, Sifuna acknowledged the internal discord, saying ODM had reached the decision “after frank and open deliberations,” even as members held “different viewpoints on many issues within the party and the country.”
The development has placed Sifuna in a precarious position. Known for his critical stance against the ODM-UDA alliance, he has repeatedly warned that such a partnership could erode ODM’s identity as a people’s movement and weaken its prospects ahead of the 2027 elections.
City lawyer and former Law Society of Kenya President Nelson Havi summed up Sifuna’s dilemma with a grim metaphor: “Edwin Sifuna’s job is as difficult as making your own coffin, digging your own grave and forcing yourself into both, but he is up to the task. He will get the job done.”
During a recent interview on Citizen TV, Sifuna issued a stark ultimatum vowing to resign if ODM endorses Ruto’s re-election in 2027. “The only reason I haven’t resigned is because there’s still some glimmer of hope that my party will eventually see the merger as untenable,” he stated.
Raila has defended Sifuna’s right to hold dissenting views, but some loyalists have adopted a more hardline position urging the Nairobi senator to either align with the party’s new direction or step aside.
As ODM treads the delicate path of political cooperation, all eyes remain on Sifuna torn between loyalty to his party and commitment to its founding ideals.
