KILIFI, Kenya – Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna was not present at a key Central Management Committee (CMC) meeting held on Monday in Kilifi, raising eyebrows.
While ODM Party Leader Oburu Odinga said he was absent with an apology, sources say Sifuna was absent by design.
The latest move is poised to deepen divisions within the party as it navigates its future political alignment ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The CMC, the party’s top decision-making organ on internal disputes and strategy, convened at Vipingo Ridge Golf Resort in Kilifi under the leadership of the ODM Party to deliberate on internal wrangles and differences among senior leaders, including the party’s engagement with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Photographs shared on social media by Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir showed key ODM officials attending the meeting but did not include Sifuna, raising questions about his stance and potential absence from the proceedings.
It was reported that the Nairobi Senator and party secretary-general missed his Monday morning flight and thus was “conspicuously absent” from the gathering.
Also missing from the CMC meeting were other senior figures such as Senator Godfrey Osotsi.
Oburu said Osotsi was outside the country.
Statement of the Central Management Committee of the party… #TukoTayari
Internal Rift Over UDA Talks
The timing of Sifuna’s absence comes amid a bitter intra-party split over ODM’s continued engagement with the broad-based government memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with UDA in March 2025 and whether the party should enter into a formal pre-election arrangement with the ruling bloc.
Sifuna has been one of the most vocal critics of the pact with UDA.
The leaders present are allied to President Ruto’s broad-based government.
Party Leadership Signals Unity Amid Tension
In his announcement of the meeting, Oburu Oginga emphasised ODM’s commitment to internal consultation and unity of purpose despite disagreements, as the party seeks to define a coherent strategy for the period ahead.
