- Cracks have continued to emerge within ODM as party officials clash over various issues, including the handling of campaign funds from Raila Odinga’s presidential bid
- ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna publicly accused Suna East Member of Parliament Junet Mohamed of hypocrisy and misuse of funds given by former president Uhuru Kenyatta
- The crisis gained new weight after PLP leader Martha Karua appeared to support Sifuna’s remarks with an open post on social media.
Cracks that were continuing to emerge quietly within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) have continued to emerge in public.
Source: Facebook
The conflicts have once again exposed major internal disputes over the handling of campaign funds during the campaign Raila Odinga of running for president in 2022 which failed.
It has also revealed a party that is struggling to strengthen itself after the death of Raila in 2025.
The center of the storm is a bitter feud between the ODM general secretary and a Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna and the Election Director of the party, Member of Parliament for Suna East Junet Mohamed.
The crisis has raised uncomfortable questions about what happened in the 2022 campaign and who should bear the responsibility for Raila’s loss, while also reopening the debate about the role played by the former president. Uhuru Kenyatta.
What claims did Sifuna make about Raila’s 2022 campaign funds?
Sifuna created a political storm on Saturday, January 3, when he was speaking at the funeral of his mother, Embakasi North Member of Parliament James Gakuya, Alice Wangari Gakuya.
In a strong speech in front of the mourners, the senator launched a strong attack against Junet, accusing him of hypocrisy and misuse of funds given by Uhuru to finance Raila’s campaign.
The Nairobi senator reminded ODM supporters that the 2022 election marked Raila’s best ever performance in Mount Kenya, where he got more than one million votes.
Sifuna said that the success was largely due to Uhuru’s support, both politically and financially, at a time when many had dismissed the area as out of ODM’s reach.
He openly admitted that the major financial power of the campaign came from the former president, praising Uhuru for supporting Raila in every way.
Then Sifuna turned to Junet, accusing her of now refusing the money she was benefiting from, and questioned when Uhuru’s money suddenly became unacceptable.
“But now there is one idiot who has suddenly realized that now Uhuru Kenyatta’s money was bad. I want to ask Junet: what day was Uhuru’s money bad? Was it the day you took it? And you didn’t even bring it all to the party; you ate some of it yourself and your wives. On the day we start reviewing the 2022 election, it is good that you have opened this debate so that everyone can say what role they took,” he said.
In his explanation, Sifuna claimed that some of the campaign funds did not reach their intended target, accusing Junet of getting part of the money instead of ensuring the agents were paid on election day, a failure he said cost Raila a lot in key battlegrounds.
According to Sifuna, the abandonment of agents allowed the opposition to dominate polling stations, contributing to what he described as an embarrassing defeat.
“You (Junet) were taking Uhuru’s money and instead of paying the agents, you left them free and we were hit 10-null, and now we are crying outside. If it wasn’t for you, Junet, we would be in government,” Sifuna said.
Did Karua support Sifuna’s feelings?
The debate became more serious after the leader of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP) Martha Karua giving his opinion, sharing his opinion.
Karua, who was Raila’s running mate in the 2022 race and now supports the united opposition, appeared to back Sifuna’s claims in a short but candid post on social media.
Writing on X, the veteran politician simply said, “Say it louder.”
Although brief, Karua’s message was widely interpreted as an endorsement of Sifuna’s sentiments and a sign that disillusionment about the 2022 campaign extends beyond ODM’s inner circles.
Source: Facebook
The secretary general of ODM went further, claiming that but for Junet’s actions, the party would be in government today.
He dismissed any suggestion that he could be threatened, punished or expelled for speaking out, insisting that ODM’s position on the 2027 presidential election remains unchanged.
Sifuna insisted that Raila never supported President William Ruto for re-election and accused some members of the party of falsely claiming to speak on behalf of the late opposition leader.
He emphasized that his own position was guided by the direct talks he had with Raila, strengthening ODM’s opposition to Ruto’s presidency.
Is there a revolution in ODM?
Elsewhere, Junet came out strongly to defend ODM leader Oburu Oginga as the internal division is increasing within the party.
He claimed that the opposition camp was being funded by a powerful former government official to undermine ODM from within.
Mohamed told opponents to consider starting their own political party, even as he reiterated his support for the broader plan.
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