Nairobi Senator and ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna has hit back at President William Ruto over his recent claim that the late Raila Odinga was his only “worthy competitor,” declaring that the ruling camp will be stunned by the Orange party’s resurgence in 2027.
Speaking during an ODM delegates’ meeting in Mombasa on Saturday, Sifuna echoed calls for the party to field its own presidential candidate in the next General Election, insisting that the Orange movement remains alive and ready to reclaim power.
“Naskia kuna watu wanazunguka wakisema ni baba pekee angeweza kuwaangusha kwa uchaguzi. Kuna mjumbe ametuambia, mtoto wa simba ni simba. Watashangaa sana,” Sifuna told cheering delegates, alluding to a new generation of ODM leaders prepared to carry Odinga’s torch.
President Ruto, during his Western Kenya tour on October 30, had dismissed opposition figures as unprepared and uncoordinated, saying that Raila was the only opponent who ever posed a serious challenge. “Ati wale watu nashindana nao ni wale? Ningeshindana na Raila, lakini hawa nitawamalizia asubuhi na mapema,” Ruto had remarked.
Sifuna, however, dismissed the President’s bravado, warning that such complacency would be costly. He said ODM’s ongoing reorganization would deliver an unexpected blow to those underestimating its strength.
He further clarified that the broad-based arrangement between ODM and Ruto’s UDA does not amount to a political coalition. “Each party retains its independence,” he emphasized. “Baba alisema tunajitayarisha kwa ajili ya uchaguzi wa 2027 tuweze kutoa candidate wetu.”
The fiery Nairobi Senator also cautioned party members against premature campaign slogans, including “two-term” chants that have recently surfaced during by-election rallies. He said the 2027 strategy would be shaped collectively — not by a few individuals — to reflect the will of the majority within ODM.
“We are yet to agree on how to move forward in 2027, and it will not be left to a few people,” Sifuna said.
Turning his attention to regional politics, Sifuna condemned the post-election violence in Tanzania, where protesters have clashed with police after a disputed vote, accusing President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration of suppressing democracy.
“Mambo tunayoyaona Tanzania ni ya kusikitisha,” he said. “Tusiwafikirie wako mbali — ugonjwa wa kukandamiza wanademokrasia unaweza kuvuka mpaka.”
As both Ruto and ODM brace for 2027, Sifuna’s message was clear: Raila may be gone, but the movement he built is far from finished.
“Mtoto wa simba ni simba,” he declared — the lion’s cub is still a lion.
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