ODM Party leader Oburu Odinga has sharply criticised the party’s Secretary General, Edwin Sifuna, over claims questioning the legitimacy of ODM’s current leadership.
In a strongly worded letter issued on Friday, Oburu accused Sifuna of contradicting party positions and warned that no individual is bigger than the party. He said the Secretary General had, in recent months, failed to separate personal opinions from official ODM policy, leading to confusion among party members and supporters.
The Siaya Senator took issue with Sifuna’s remarks suggesting that Oburu was not validly elected as party leader. Oburu insisted that all current ODM officials are properly in office and their positions are supported by resolutions of the party’s governing organs.
“ODM has, since its formation, respected its Constitution and the rule of law,” Oburu said. “This process has placed every individual in their rightful position, including Senator Sifuna. All party officials are serving legitimately and with the backing of party organs.”
Oburu also noted that Sifuna himself previously served as Secretary General after being elected by the National Governing Council, before later receiving endorsement from the National Delegates Convention (NDC). He said Sifuna did not raise concerns about legality at the time.
“When Sifuna questioned the legality of some officials, he ignored the fact that he was elected by the same party organ in February 2018 and served fully until the NDC endorsed him in 2022,” Oburu stated.
Despite the strong response, Oburu did not say whether ODM would take disciplinary action against the Secretary General. The dispute highlights growing divisions within the party, with one faction pushing for ODM to maintain its independence, while another supports closer cooperation with the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Sifuna has insisted he will not resign as Secretary General, maintaining that any leadership change can only happen through a delegates’ conference. He has also raised concerns about alleged government funding of ODM, which he says would be against the law.
Speaking earlier this week on Citizen TV, Sifuna said his membership in ODM remains intact and called for a delegates’ conference to give direction to the party amid rising internal disagreements.
Meanwhile, Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga defended Sifuna’s position, warning against labelling him a rebel for expressing dissent. She questioned the proposed pre-election agreement between ODM and UDA and drew comparisons with the late opposition leader Raila Odinga, who she said often challenged political arrangements.
“If questioning agreements makes someone a rebel, then Raila Odinga would have been called one many times,” Ruth Odinga said.
The debate comes amid reports of a possible political pact between ODM and UDA. Recently, the Registrar of Political Parties gazetted Oburu Odinga as the official party leader of ODM.
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