Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Senator Oburu Oginga, on Wednesday, January 7, 2025, held a high-level meeting with the party’s Secretary General, Senator Edwin Sifuna, in a move seen as an attempt to steady the party amid growing internal tensions.
In a brief statement shared via X, ODM confirmed that Sifuna paid a courtesy call on Oburu at his Nairobi office, with discussions centring on party unity, cohesion, and the future growth of the movement.
“Secretary General Sen. Edwin Sifuna this morning called on Party Leader Sen. Oburu Oginga at his office in Nairobi. Their meeting centred on the unity and the growth of the party,” the party said.
Attempts to expel Sifuna
The meeting comes just a day after Migori Senator Eddy Oketch stepped back from a controversial motion seeking to de-whip and expel Sifuna from the ODM party, opting instead for alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
In a letter dated January 6, 2026, Aguko, Osman & Company Advocates, acting on behalf of Senator Oketch, announced the withdrawal of a motion that had been filed just a day earlier on January 5.
The lawmaker said the decision followed consultations with the party leader and Siaya Senator Dr. Oburu Oginga.
The advocates cited the legacy of the party’s founding leader, the late Raila Odinga, as instrumental in the change of approach.
“Following wide consultations with the Party Leader, Senator Dr Oburu Oginga and with utmost respect to the spirit of the founding Party Leader the late Raila Amollo Odinga, who embraced dialogue even with his fiercest enemies as the most preferred method of dispute resolution, we have received further instructions from our client,” the letter stated.
Despite withdrawing the motion, the letter maintained that there were legitimate concerns about Nairobi Senator Sifuna’s conduct.
“Being cognizant of the breaches as outlined in our aforementioned letter and the offensive remarks made by Hon. Senator Edwin W. Sifuna both against the Party and its members,” the advocates wrote, Senator Oketch had been “persuaded to withdraw the Motion Letter dated January 5, 2026.”
Instead of pursuing expulsion, the party will now invoke Article 16(1)(g) of the ODM Constitution, which empowers the party leader to facilitate amicable dispute resolution through Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms.
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