ODM’s House Divided: Sifuna Faces Political Reckoning as Party Moves to Oust Its Own Secretary General

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has opened a high-stakes disciplinary chapter that could culminate in the dramatic removal of its Secretary General, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna—an escalation that lays bare the party’s deepening internal fractures.

In a sharply worded show-cause letter dated Thursday, ODM Chairperson Gladys Wanga accuses Sifuna of conduct deemed incompatible with the party’s collective discipline and political coherence. At the heart of the accusations is a pattern of public dissent, with the senator allegedly contradicting official party positions even after participating in internal deliberations.

Particularly contentious are Sifuna’s appearances on Citizen TV’s The Explainer on July 22, 2025, and February 3, 2026. During these interviews, he is said to have advanced positions at odds with ODM’s official stance—most notably declaring the party’s broad-based arrangement with UDA “dead,” a statement that reportedly unsettled party ranks.

ODM’s leadership contends that such pronouncements have not only sown confusion but also eroded the party’s unified front at a politically sensitive moment. The letter underscores what it describes as a persistent pattern of divergence, accusing Sifuna of disregarding agreed positions reached in key internal forums.

Further compounding his troubles are allegations of engaging in unsanctioned political mobilization through the Linda Mwananchi Initiative. According to the party, these activities fall outside ODM’s formal structures and risk fragmenting its political base.

Attendance—or lack thereof—also features prominently in the charges. Sifuna is cited for missing critical meetings, including a Central Committee session on January 12, 2026, and National Executive Committee (NEC) sittings held on February 11 and March 4. These absences, the party argues, signal a troubling disengagement from core leadership responsibilities.

“Taken cumulatively, your conduct amounts to actions prejudicial to the interests, discipline, cohesion and public standing of the party,” the letter states, invoking Article 11(2) of the ODM constitution—a provision governing the conduct of senior officials.

Sifuna has been given until Wednesday, April 8, to respond to the allegations. He is also expected to appear before a disciplinary panel on April 10 at 10:00 a.m., where he will present his defense. ODM has made it clear that failure to comply will see the proceedings continue in his absence.

The unfolding saga reflects more than a disciplinary process—it signals a broader struggle for ideological and political control within ODM. The emergence of the Sifuna-linked Linda Mwananchi faction, seen as a counterweight to the entrenched Linda Ground bloc, has intensified the contest for influence, threatening to redraw the party’s internal power map.

As the clock ticks toward the disciplinary hearing, ODM finds itself at a crossroads—caught between enforcing party discipline and navigating the political ambitions of one of its most prominent figures.