Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has delivered a blunt and defiant message to newly ratified ODM Party Leader Oburu Oginga, dramatically escalating tensions within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) following a day of rival conventions in Nairobi.
Speaking amid the fallout of parallel National Delegates Conventions (NDCs) held by competing factions, Sifuna dismissed the legitimacy of Oburu’s leadership and firmly ruled out serving under him.
“Mnataka kuniambia naweza kuwa Katibu Mkuu wa ODM miaka nane and then I become the SG of mediocrity? Oburu tafuta SG wako. Mimi siwezi kuwa SG wa Oburu,” Sifuna declared.
The sharp remarks came after two rival ODM gatherings exposed the depth of divisions within the party.
One faction, aligned with Oburu, held an official Special Delegates Convention at Jamhuri Showground, where he was ratified as party leader.
Meanwhile, the rival “Linda Mwananchi” faction associated with Sifuna convened a parallel meeting dubbed the “People’s NDC” at Ufungamano House, though the event faced a heavy police blockade, but the meeting went on after the attendants defied the police.
The standoff underscored a party increasingly split between those backing the current leadership direction and those pushing for an alternative path.
By branding the new arrangement as “mediocrity,” the senator signaled a hardening stance that could further complicate reconciliation efforts within the party.
His message also puts into question the cohesion of ODM’s top leadership, with the possibility of a prolonged internal standoff now looming large.
Although the Oburu-led faction ratified the leadership positions of party leader, deputy party leaders, and national chairperson, the SG position was not touched.
At the heart of the dispute is a broader ideological divide over ODM’s political positioning, especially its cooperation with the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) under the broad-based government framework.
The Sifuna-led faction has consistently opposed the arrangement, arguing that it dilutes the party’s role as a watchdog and undermines its support base.
In contrast, the Oburu-aligned wing has backed the cooperation, framing it as a strategic move in Kenya’s evolving political landscape.
