Sifuna Explains His Absence From Oburu’s ODM Party Leadership Meeting
Edwin Sifuna, Secretary General of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), has claimed that he was not aware of the circumstances surrounding the meeting that established Dr Oburu Oginga as the party’s head.
Senator Sifuna separated himself from the proceedings and questioned their procedural legality.
Speaking on Citizen TV’s The Explainer, Sifuna stated that he was a member of the delegation that left Nairobi for Mumbai, India, to repatriate the late Raila Odinga.
He argued that several senior elites inside the party did not believe it was necessary to wait for his return to Nairobi before he could attend the meeting.
Edwin Sifuna: The installation of Oburu Oginga as interim party leader was not procedural in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. What I would have advised had I been in that meeting is allow one of the deputies they can even act for one month and in 3 months’… pic.twitter.com/OZfVjzHF5g
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) February 3, 2026
“The public needs to be reminded that I was not part of that meeting that installed Oburu as interim party leader,” he stated.
“When Baba died, many people saw me at State House when the official announcement was being made.”
He added, “I was wearing an ODM t-shirt because that same day we were supposed to go to Kajiado. In the morning, I wake up and it is one of the most shocking things I saw a message saying Amollo has left us.
“It was quite shocking because I had spoken with Mzee the previous day. I was not in the initial plan to travel to Mumbai.”
The Nairobi Senator also expressed reservations regarding respect to party constitutional procedures.
He cited the party Constitution, which calls for a special National Delegates Conference (NDC) to install a new leader when the current leader dies.
Edwin Sifuna on an NDC being called and him being kicked out as SG: It is okay. There is nowhere it is written that Sifuna can be the only one who is SG. I have said that I have predecessors, people who have done this job; I have young people in ODM who, I know for a fact, if… pic.twitter.com/XjTRYI6Tcg
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) February 3, 2026
He also indicated that the process utilized to raise Oburu did not, in his opinion, comply with the party’s constitutional structure.
“The installation of Oburu Oginga as interim party leader was not procedural in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution,” he noted.
“What I would have advised had I been in that meeting is to allow one of the deputies to act for one month and in 3 months’ time, call for a special NDC and do it procedurally and properly.”
“I was not in that meeting because I was going to fetch my party leader to bring Baba back home,” he added.
“I don’t think anybody considers me important enough to be waited upon and they have their reasons why they did it in the manner they did.”
Sifuna appeared unconcerned about being booted out of the party during the NDC.
Edwin Sifuna: I am in ODM and nobody can kick me out of ODM; I have no intention of leaving. You don’t have to be an official to be a member of the party #CitizenExplainer pic.twitter.com/4k1ZZNahWd
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) February 3, 2026
“It is okay. There is nowhere it is written that Sifuna can be the only one who is SG. I have said that I have predecessors, people who have done this job,” Sifuna remarked.
“I am in ODM and nobody can kick me out of ODM; I have no intention of leaving. You don’t have to be an official to be a member of the party.”
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Aside from party politics, Sifuna spoke on leadership and public accountability, linking what he called an excess culture to broader governance issues with the incumbent government.
“This is the problem that got us into the 2024 quagmire in the first place. I have given you the example of (Deputy President) Kindiki and his private jets,” he pointed out.
“Should we still be seeing such opulence in government? We are being told that State House runs through its budget of mandazi and soda way before the financial year closes.”
His comments come amid increased political activity inside ODM as the party navigates leadership transitions and internal discussions about procedure, accountability, and potential coalition pacts ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Sifuna Explains His Absence From Oburu’s ODM Party Leadership Meeting
