In a sharply worded response to swirling political speculation, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leadership has dismissed allegations that President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) directed the party to remove Edwin Sifuna as Secretary General. ODM’s biggest internal rift this year intensified after the NEC resolution on Sifuna’s status, but senior party officials are now insisting the action was taken solely by party organs without any external interference.
ODM Deputy Party Leader Abduswamad Nassir told a Nairobi television outlet that reports suggesting the party acted on “instructions from the UDA” are unfounded and politically motivated. Nassir emphasized that Sifuna’s removal—confirmed by NEC after a vote—followed careful internal deliberations and was based on party strategy and internal policy differences, not influence from the ruling party.
“That is not very true; it is unfortunate and very far from the truth,” Nassir said, stressing that Sifuna remains a member of ODM even after his exit from the secretary-general position. He reiterated that the decision reflected a majority outcome within the National Executive Committee and reaffirmed the party’s autonomy in determining its leadership.
Wednesday’s resolution triggered an immediate leadership shift, with Catherine Omanyo—the former deputy SG—stepping in as acting secretary general as ODM prepares for its National Delegates Convention on March 27, 2026.
The clarification seeks to stem mounting narratives that the internal leadership shake-up was orchestrated by Ruto’s allies within ODM—a claim first circulating on social media and in political chatter following NEC’s Mombasa meeting. These assertions linked Sifuna’s outspoken stance on party direction and national politics to broader power plays involving the ruling coalition, but ODM has firmly rejected that framing.
Sifuna himself is expected to address the developments publicly, with plans to speak to the press on Thursday and outline his next steps amid mixed reactions across the country’s political landscape.
The party’s rebuff of external influence attempts to shift the narrative back to internal dynamics, but analysts warn that ongoing claims of political meddling could deepen factional tensions as Kenya approaches the 2027 general election.
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