Sifuna: Raila Has Been Misled
Nairobi Senator and ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna has questioned the advice being given to party leader Raila Odinga, following remarks in which the former Prime Minister faulted the Senate’s practice of summoning governors.
Speaking on Tuesday, August 19, Sifuna said Raila’s latest position was inconsistent with the party leader’s previous support for strengthening the Senate’s oversight role.
“The governors are the ones who are misadvising Raila. You remember when we had a meeting with the party leader in the Senate—when he came out of that meeting, the pronouncements he made, including strengthening the place of the Senate for devolution to succeed, those were the proper words or the proper advice that Raila gives. I was very shocked to hear some of those pronouncements because I know he’s been misadvised,” Sifuna stated.
Raila’s Remarks at Devolution Conference
While addressing delegates at the Devolution Conference in Homa Bay on Thursday, August 14, Raila argued that county assemblies, not the Senate, should play the primary role in holding governors accountable.
“County governments are supposed to be oversighted by county assemblies, not the Senate. Therefore, it is unnecessary for the Senate to be summoning governors to appear before senators in Nairobi,” Raila said.
He further suggested that oversight committees should instead summon chief executives and accounting officers of county governments, terming the routine appearances of governors before the Senate as a “waste of time.”
Backlash Over Raila’s Position
Raila’s remarks have since triggered widespread debate, with critics warning that shielding governors from Senate scrutiny could weaken the fight against corruption and mismanagement of public resources at the county level.
Former presidential candidate and gospel singer Reuben Kigame was among those who expressed disappointment. In a statement on Friday, August 15, Kigame accused the ODM leader of abandoning his commitment to protecting public funds.
“I am so disappointed by Raila. I regret voting for him in the past and viewing him as a people-centred leader. He actually does not want governors questioned for looting from citizens or for non-performance? But some Kenyans will still vote for him if he announced he was running for president,” Kigame lamented.
The Bigger Picture
The clash between Sifuna and Raila reflects simmering tensions within ODM over the balance of power between the Senate and governors. While Raila insists that county assemblies should lead the oversight role, senators argue that allowing governors to avoid parliamentary scrutiny risks emboldening graft and weakening devolution.
As the debate rages, Kenyans are left to question whether the country’s governance structures are being shaped by principle—or political convenience.
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