- ODM members in Kakamega county are divided over the decision of the party’s main body to remove Edwin Sifuna as general secretary
- While the governor of Kakamega, Fernandes Barasa, has supported the decision of the NEC, some members of the grassroots have strongly opposed it
- The MCAs announced their next step while encouraging young members to support Sifuna, saying he is the future of the Orange Party.
Kakamega: Removal of Edwin Sifuna as the general secretary of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) continues to create mixed feelings across the country.
Source: Original
In Kakamega county, one of ODM’s strongholds, party members are divided over the decision.
While Governor Fernandes Barasa, who is also the county ODM chairman, has welcomed the decision, some MCAs insist that Sifuna is still their general secretary.
In a press conference at the county headquarters in Kakamega on Thursday, February 12, Barasa said the party made the right decision to remove Sifuna from that influential position.
“ODM Kakamega members confirm their support for the NEC resolution and emphasize their commitment to party unity, discipline and institutional integrity,” the governor said.
“As a party, we need to conduct our activities based on party structures, and as ODM Kakamega we support the decision to remove Sifuna. We need to have discipline within the party,” he added.
The county leader also assured them that ODM members in the county fully support the party leader, Oburu Oginga.
“We are strong and we will protect ODM’s ground,” Barasa insisted.
Do ODM Kakamega MCAs support Edwin Sifuna?
The governor’s statement angered some ODM MCAs in the county.
Led by Bernard Mulama of Lumakanda and Lilian Osiema (who was appointed), the ward representatives said it was wrong for Barasa to support senior party officials who they accuse of unfairly targeting Sifuna.
According to the MCAs, the future of ODM depends on young leaders, and the decision to remove Sifuna was an attempt to silence their voices.
“We are disappointed by what the NEC did to one of us; we want to tell those Luhya leaders who are celebrating that they have betrayed our region,” Mulama said.
The MCAs also claimed to be the President William Ruto he was involved in the decision of the NEC and they asked him to avoid interfering in the internal affairs of the Orange Party.
They pledged to continue to support Sifuna, who has already opposed his removal from power. The court has issued an order to stop the publication in the official newspaper (gazettement) of the NEC resolution.
Source: Original
“As ODM Kakamega MCAs, we will not be silenced in this county. We are still young, and our leader is Edwin Sifuna,” Osiema said.
In addition, the ward representatives threatened to mobilize ODM members to organize protest of peace to support Sifuna.
They also asked the youth across the county to stand in solidarity with the Nairobi senator.
“We need to unite as a community because it is clear that our leaders within ODM are being targeted,” The nominated MCA said.
Is Ruto behind the ODM conflicts?
Earlier, TUKO.co.ke reported that the governor of Siaya, James Orengoblamed President William Ruto for the leadership conflicts currently plaguing ODM.
According to Orengo, Ruto was behind the NEC’s decision to remove Sifuna.
He said the move was a direct interference in the internal affairs of the Orange Party, which Ruto is seeking for an agreement before the 2027 elections.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
