UASIN GISHU — Kapseret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi has called on Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna to resign from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) if he cannot support the broad based government arrangement between President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga. MP Sudi issued the challenge during a funeral ceremony held in Moi’s Bridge, Uasin Gishu County. His remarks come just days after Sifuna, speaking on national television, dismissed the 2024 post-protest Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ODM and the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA), claiming the agreement had failed to deliver on its commitments.
“Let Sifuna speak on television all he wants, but this government will not be shaken,” MP Sudi said. “This arrangement was agreed upon by the party leaders. Those who were not part of the talks have no right to discredit it.”
Senator Edwin Sifuna,the ODM Secretary-General, has accused the Ruto administration of violating the terms of the MoU. Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna cited ongoing extrajudicial killings and a lack of reforms, issues he said the agreement was meant to address.
In response, MP Sudi defended the alliance as a product of direct engagement between Ruto and Raila. He warned against what he described as internal sabotage from ODM members not involved in the original negotiations. “ODM made a choice. If Sifuna doesn’t agree, he should consider his position. We can’t afford divisive politics when the country needs development,” Sudi said.
Soy MP David Kiplagat echoed the sentiments, urging Edwin Sifuna to step aside from ODM if he could not align with the party’s current position. “ODM is now part of the government,” Kiplagat stated. “If Sifuna cannot stomach that reality, it may be time for him to start his own political path.”
Taita Taveta Woman Representative Haika Mizighi also voiced support for the broad based government arrangement. She said criticism from within ODM could undermine the progress the Ruto administration aims to make under the current collaboration. “We stand with the President and trust his leadership. Let the country give him the space to deliver,” Mizighi said.
Edwin Sifuna’s recent remarks have deepened divisions within ODM, particularly as the party navigates its relationship with the Ruto-led government. While Raila has not publicly reversed the party’s cooperation with Kenya Kwanza, he recently defended Sifuna’s right to express dissent, calling it part of the party’s democratic values.
As the political climate sharpens ahead of the 2027 elections, internal disagreements over the ODM-UDA relationship continue to expose rifts within Kenya’s major opposition party.
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