NAIROBI, Kenya — Former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Nelson Havi has called on Nairobi Senator and ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna to take charge of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) following the death of its long-serving leader, Raila Odinga.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Monday, Havi said that while Kenyans must continue to mourn Raila, the ODM party should not delay its transition process, warning that hesitation could lead to political fragmentation.
“Mourn Raila Odinga, but do not hesitate in taking over the leadership of ODM,” Havi said. “By now, you should have taken over; otherwise, the ODM party will continue disintegration. It will remain a party domiciled in Siaya, Migori, Homa Bay, and Kisumu.”
Havi noted that Raila built ODM as a national movement, not a regional one, and urged Sifuna to safeguard that legacy by providing decisive leadership.
“When the king is dead, the heir apparent is prepared for coronation quickly,” he said. “That is how transitions work. A succession to high office does not require hesitation.”
The former LSK boss emphasized that moments of political transition require firmness, clarity, and courage, adding that Sifuna must rise above grief to chart ODM’s next course.
“I do not think that is what Raila Odinga would want—to see the party he built fragment. Take over the party,” he urged.
Havi’s remarks come amid growing uncertainty within ODM following Raila’s death on October 15, 2025, in Kochi, India, where he was receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness.
Although the party named Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga as acting party leader, the question of long-term succession remains unresolved. ODM delegates from Kisumu, Siaya, Migori, and Homa Bay have already endorsed Oburu as Raila’s successor, signaling emerging regional alignment around his leadership.
Edwin Sifuna is in the exact position where Michael Kijana Wamalwa was in 1994. The only difference tilting in his favour is that he is not going against Raila Odinga who was Wamalwa’s age mate but Oburu Odinga. The prospects of growth or death of ODM are in the hands of Sifuna.
However, a faction within the party, led by Sifuna and other younger leaders, has been pushing for ODM’s independence and grassroots revitalization ahead of the 2027 General Election, rejecting full integration into the broad-based government.
As ODM navigates this delicate transition, analysts say the party’s next phase will depend on how it balances unity, reform, and the preservation of Raila’s legacy — a task now seen to rest squarely on Sifuna’s shoulders.
