The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is grappling with internal strife, as tensions between Secretary General Edwin Sifuna and former party chairman John Mbadi play out in public.
In an interview with Ramogi TV, Mbadi, who currently serves as Treasury Cabinet Secretary, took issue with Sifuna’s recent remarks, accusing him of creating unnecessary divisions within the party. He called on the Secretary General to respect the hierarchy of leadership.
“Between the Party Leader and the Secretary General, whose decision is final?” Mbadi posed, emphasizing that Raila Odinga remains the final authority in the party.
He further clarified that Cabinet Secretaries affiliated with ODM who accepted positions in President William Ruto’s administration did so with Raila’s full approval, after consultations with the Head of State. This, he noted, underscored the deliberate nature of ODM’s engagement with the Kenya Kwanza government.
“I’m glad he clarified those are his personal opinions,” Mbadi said, referring to Sifuna’s recent statements, which he dismissed as not representing ODM’s official position.
According to the Treasury CS, the cooperation between ODM and Kenya Kwanza will continue until the 2027 General Election, when Raila is expected to determine the party’s next move.
Meanwhile, in a candid appearance on Citizen TV’s The Explainer show, Sifuna admitted that ODM is suffering from deep internal contradictions and an identity crisis. The Nairobi Senator acknowledged that the party no longer speaks in one voice.
“Right now, there is a lot of confusion,” Sifuna said. “I told my party leader that there was a time when it was easy to be the SG of ODM… You could wake me up at night and I would answer any question because we never compromised on values.”
Sifuna lamented that he now struggles to articulate the party’s stance on fundamental issues, including constitutional rights, devolution, and civil liberties under Article 37. He blamed the lack of clarity on mixed allegiances and inconsistent messaging from within the party.
“You see a member of ODM who used to hold a premier position, now serving as Cabinet Secretary, and it leaves our supporters very confused,” he added.
In a rare moment of contrition, Sifuna offered an apology to ODM members and supporters for the party’s leadership shortcomings.
“I want to apologise to members of ODM for all the confusion we as a leadership have caused, because it is very difficult right now to discern the position of ODM on major issues,” he said. “And that is the biggest sadness—because it should be easy.”
