Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has reaffirmed that he remains the Secretary General of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), following a controversial founders’ meeting hosted by President William Ruto. Sifuna made the statement while engaging with widows in Bomachoge Borabu Constituency, Kisii County, on November 21, 2025.
During the event, Sifuna emphasized that he had survived political threats from the Head of State, referencing past warnings. President Ruto, during the burial of the late Raila Odinga’s bodyguard in Siaya on April 12, 2025, cautioned Sifuna to tread carefully or risk a founders’ meeting aimed at disciplining him.
The ODM founders’ dinner, however, was hosted by President Ruto on November 16, 2025, in Mombasa, as part of the party’s 20th anniversary celebrations. The meeting sparked debates on the authority and leadership within ODM, given Sifuna’s continued role as Secretary General.
As ODM SG, Sifuna is constitutionally mandated to speak on behalf of the party. On October 27, 2025, he read an official ODM press statement clarifying the party’s position in the broad-based government, asserting that ODM will remain in the coalition until 2027. This stance comes amidst instances where Sifuna’s actions appeared to conflict with President Ruto’s policies and the broader government agenda.
Sifuna was also instrumental in the inter-party working group that drafted the 10-point agenda of the Memorandum of Understanding between ODM and UDA, highlighting his central role in shaping the party’s political direction.
Despite the tensions, Sifuna remains firm that his position as ODM Secretary General is intact. His statements signal that the party’s official positions will continue to be guided by its constitutional structures rather than unilateral actions by external political figures.
The recent developments underline the ongoing power dynamics between ODM leadership and the broader political environment under President Ruto’s government, leaving observers keenly watching how the party navigates these challenges moving forward.
