NAIROBI, Kenya — Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has launched a scathing attack on his Nairobi counterpart Edwin Sifuna, calling for his immediate removal as the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party Secretary General.
In a statement issued on Sunday, October 19, shortly after the burial of former Prime Minister, the late Raila Amolo Odinga in Bondo, Siaya County, Cherargei accused Sifuna of undermining the party’s political direction and sabotaging efforts to align ODM with President William Ruto’s broad-based government.
“The biggest threat to the growth of ODM to be in government or to form government in the future is Sifuna and company. By the end of this year, 2025, he must be removed from ODM as the Secretary General,” Cherargei said.
He further claimed that Sifuna had become “a mole within ODM,” working to weaken the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed earlier this year between Raila and President Ruto.
According to Cherargei, Sifuna’s open defiance of ODM’s cooperation with the ruling administration went against Raila’s final wishes.
“The entire ODM leadership, except Sifuna, have confirmed that Raila Odinga instructed them to stay and work with President Ruto’s administration under a broad-based government,” he added.
During Raila’s burial in Bondo, Sifuna defended his position, insisting that the party would remain true to its founding ideals and the wishes of its late leader.
“I want to say that Raila Odinga was a great man who understood Kenyans,” Sifuna said. “I want to encourage ODM leaders to stay together and listen to what Kenyans want. Raila openly said last month that the ODM Party will field candidates in 2027. Let no one call me out over this.”
Cherargei’s remarks come amid widening rifts within ODM following Raila’s death, as leaders tussle over the party’s future — whether to fully align with President Ruto’s administration or maintain independence heading into the 2027 General Election.
The escalating tension highlights a growing ideological divide within the opposition, with ODM now at a critical crossroads as it seeks to redefine its identity in the post-Raila era.
