ADVERTISEMENT Kenya’s opposition powerhouse Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) teetered on the edge of chaos this week when a desperate truce meeting in upscale Karen nearly descended into physical violence between fiery Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna and National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed.
Sources close to the closed-door session—convened in a last-ditch bid to bridge the party’s bitter factional divide—described the atmosphere as “explosive.” Tempers flared so intensely between the two heavyweights that intervention by other top officials was required to prevent an all-out brawl, according to The Star’s February 13 exclusive.
The aborted talks unfolded against a backdrop of raw power struggles gripping ODM in the post-Raila Odinga era. Deep rifts over 2022 election campaign funds, leadership succession, strategic alliances, and the party’s direction ahead of 2027 have pitted Sifuna’s vocal, Nairobi-centric faction against Junet’s influential parliamentary wing. Public barbs had already flown for months, with Sifuna accusing Junet of mismanaging resources and Junet pushing back on party strategy critiques.
The Karen gathering was meant to cool heads and forge unity. Instead, sharp exchanges escalated to the brink, underscoring how fragile ODM’s cohesion has become. Just days later—or possibly overlapping—the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) met in Mombasa on February 11, 2026, and delivered a bombshell: relieving Sifuna of his Secretary-General duties with immediate effect, appointing Busia Woman Rep Catherine Omanyo as acting SG, and setting a National Delegates Convention for March 27.
Both Sifuna and Junet swiftly dismissed reports of near-violence in video statements and interviews, insisting discussions stayed passionate but professional. “Nothing personal—just divergence of views,” Junet maintained in earlier remarks on party tensions, while Sifuna has framed his ouster as unlawful and vowed to fight on.
The near-confrontation serves as a dramatic flashpoint in ODM’s ongoing implosion. With purges, legal challenges to leadership changes, and competing visions for opposition revival, the incident raises urgent questions: Can cooler heads restore unity, or are these cracks signaling an irreversible fracture ahead of 2027?
Political observers are riveted. In Kenya’s volatile arena, one heated moment in Karen could redefine—or destroy—one of the nation’s most storied parties. Stay tuned: The battle for ODM’s soul is far from over.
