Fresh cracks within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) burst into the open on Monday after Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga fiercely dismissed claims that the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga secretly warned allies that Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna was a “mole” working against the party.
Ruth was responding to explosive allegations made by businessman Oketch Salah, who claimed during a Christmas Eve stopover in Kondele on December 24 that Raila had privately confided in him about Sifuna’s alleged disloyalty to ODM.
In a sharply worded statement, Ruth described the claims as outright falsehoods, insisting that Raila Odinga was never a man of whispers or secret briefings.
“Raila Odinga was not a gossiper,” she said. “He spoke openly, directly and consistently. Anyone who knew Jakom understands that he made his positions clear in public and did not engage in backroom intrigue.”
She challenged anyone claiming to have held exclusive or repeated private conversations with Raila on sensitive party or national matters, branding such assertions misleading and dishonest.
“Anyone telling Kenyans that Hon. Raila had a series of private conversations with him on a wide range of issues is lying and must be called out,” Ruth stated. “Jakom always spoke his mind and never hid his stand.”
Ruth further defended Senator Sifuna, who is also the ODM Secretary-General, saying he enjoyed the same relationship with Raila as many other young leaders in the party and should not be unfairly isolated.
“Talking of Baba’s sons, Edwin Sifuna was equally his son. He talked to him like he talked to many others. No one should claim to have been closer to Raila than everyone else,” she added.
Salah, however, doubled down on his claims, alleging that Raila had warned him that Sifuna was “someone else’s dog” and that events unfolding within ODM had since confirmed those fears. He accused the Nairobi senator of undermining the party from within and claimed Sifuna had already resolved to oppose any political arrangement between ODM and President William Ruto, regardless of Raila’s position.
“Even before Baba’s death, Sifuna went public and said he would not support any arrangement with Ruto, even if Raila endorsed it,” Salah alleged, claiming to have WhatsApp messages as evidence.
The bitter exchange comes amid widening fault lines within ODM over cooperation with the Kenya Kwanza administration under the broad-based government framework.
Adding to the debate, political communicator Pauline Njoroge dismissed claims that former President Uhuru Kenyatta is behind ODM’s growing internal tensions. In a statement issued the same day, Njoroge argued that Uhuru is being unfairly scapegoated due to discomfort over his continued popularity, including the warm reception he received during Raila Odinga’s funeral.
“The truth is ODM is divided from within,” Njoroge said. “Some leaders are comfortable enjoying the benefits of the broad-based government, while others—especially younger leaders—are not pro-government and want a different path. That disconnect is the real issue.”
She insisted that Uhuru, who is not seeking elective office in 2027, has nothing to gain from destabilizing ODM.
“When people refuse to confront hard realities, they look for a bogeyman,” she concluded. “Uhuru Kenyatta is a respected statesman, not a destabilising force. The propaganda and intrigue must stop.”
As ODM edges closer to the 2026–2027 political season, the Sifuna saga underscores a party wrestling with its identity, loyalty, and future direction—battles that are increasingly being fought in public.
Meanwhile, as the debate over loyalty, betrayal and hidden hands within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) rages on, party Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has made a dramatic intervention—publicly apologizing to former President Uhuru Kenyatta even as he fiercely defended himself against accusations of double-dealing.
Speaking on Tuesday, December 30, during the burial of former Cabinet minister Cyrus Jirongo in Kakamega County, the Nairobi Senator used the high-profile gathering to address the escalating attacks on Uhuru by senior ODM figures, distancing the party’s official position from the recent insults.
“Because I am still the ODM Secretary General, I want, as the party spokesperson, to apologize to you, Uhuru Kenyatta, and ask for forgiveness on behalf of our party for the insults you have been receiving from various ODM leaders,” Sifuna said.
His remarks came barely days after ODM leaders traded barbs over claims of infiltration, with some accusing Uhuru of fuelling internal divisions, while others insisted the crisis is entirely homegrown and centred on the party’s uneasy relationship with President William Ruto’s administration.
Sifuna lamented what he termed selective amnesia among some party leaders, reminding them of Uhuru’s critical role in backing Raila Odinga’s presidential bids.
“They have forgotten the immense support you gave Raila Odinga when he vied for the presidency. Today, they want to cut the hand that fed them,” he said.
He went further to thank the former president on behalf of ODM, invoking the long-standing friendship between Uhuru and the late Raila Odinga.
“As I apologize on behalf of the thoughtless, I also want to say thank you. Baba Raila Amolo Odinga always said you were among his few true friends,” Sifuna added.
At the same time, the ODM Secretary General hit back at claims that he is covertly trying to realign the party with Uhuru, even as other leaders openly engage with President Ruto under the broad-based government arrangement.
“There are people holding meetings in Kilgoris trying to sell ODM to William Ruto. When we call them out, they suddenly turn around and accuse us of selling ODM to Uhuru,” Sifuna said.
He challenged his critics to provide evidence of any inappropriate alliance, insisting his record speaks for itself.
“Have you seen me dancing on podiums with Uhuru the way those people are dancing with Ruto?” he asked.
Sifuna’s remarks come in the wake of sustained attacks on Uhuru by ODM’s top leadership. Party chairperson Gladys Wanga and Minority Leader Junet Mohamed have accused the former president of attempting to destabilize the party from within.
On Sunday, December 28, while addressing a rally in Homa Bay County attended by President Ruto, Governor Wanga warned Uhuru against what she termed political interference.
“We respect President Uhuru Kenyatta. But if you want to destroy ODM by sending wheeler-dealers among us, we reject that plan. We will deal with it perpendicularly,” Wanga declared.
The apology and counter-accusations now add another layer to an ODM already split between leaders embracing cooperation with the Kenya Kwanza administration and those resisting any arrangement they view as a betrayal of the party’s opposition roots.
Taken together with the earlier claims and rebuttals over alleged moles, secret warnings and shifting loyalties, Sifuna’s intervention underscores a party at war with itself—its internal contradictions increasingly spilling into the open as the battle for ODM’s soul intensifies ahead of the next electoral cycle.
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