Magazetini Kenya, March 4: Edwin Sifuna Is Reportedly Registering a New Political Party

Newspapers on Wednesday, March 4, focused on ODM politics, with those seen as rebels reportedly pushing for the formation of a new political party.

The front pages of the Daily Nation and Taifa Leo newspapers. Photo: Photo Daily Nation and Nation Today.
Source: UGC

Elsewhere, newspapers continued to report on the helicopter crash that killed Emurua MP Dikirr Johanna Ng’eno and five other people.

1. Daily Nation

Daily Nation highlighted the alleged move by what appear to be ODM rebels to register a new party.

As was the case with Linda Mwananchi’s initiative, which is run by alleged opponents within ODM and which is shaking the political scene, a new direction has emerged through applications to register the movement as a political party.

This surprising step has raised doubts from various sides, even among the supporters of the movement.

Details three are offered: it may be a savings plan for perceived ODM defectors, an attempt to grab a popular name, or a commercial ploy by politicians looking for opportunities.

The application was submitted last week to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP), and seems to have surprised group members linked to the ODM Secretary General. Edwin Sifuna and his partners.

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Currently, the request to retain the name is under review by the ORPP, and it has raised suspicions and hush-hush strategies among rival groups, raising three pressing questions:

Is this a Sifuna savings plan? Is it a conspiracy by the enemies of ODM or some members of the opposition or the government to prevent them from using that name? Or is it a commercial approach, as happened to “Mugambi Imanyara,” where someone rushes to protect the political brand before taking action themselves?

At the heart of the tension is Charles Wanyonyi, who confirmed that he submitted an application to retain the name.

“I have made the reservation, but I cannot comment now because it is still under review by the Registrar of Political Parties,” said Wanyonyi. “Once approved, we will know the next step.”

The Nation confirmed that requests to retain the name were submitted.

However, Registrar of Political Parties John Cox Lorionokou refused to discuss the details, only explaining the procedures followed.

At the same time, the Sifuna camp has denied the intention of turning Linda Mwananchi into a political party, stressing that the movement has not made an official decision to register the party.

Godfrey Osotsi, Deputy Leader of ODM, founder of Linda Mwananchi and Vihiga Senator, denied claims that the group has reached that stage.

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“As a team, we have not discussed the matter because we have not reached that stage,” said Osotsi. “Our priority is to resolve the internal issues of the ODM party.”

2. Nation Today

Taifa Today reported on the investigation into the helicopter crash that killed Emurua Member of Parliament Dikirr Johanna Ng’eno and five other people.

Detectives have completed the collection of important evidence at the scene of the helicopter crash that occurred on Saturday, February 28.

On Monday, March 2, a joint team of DCI officers and aviation experts spent the day examining the remains of the helicopter, collecting flight equipment and technical components similar to a black box.

The equipment is expected to shed light on the last moments of the plane before it crashed.

The investigation has now moved to a technical analysis in Nairobi, the next step in determining the cause of the tragedy.

Some of the remains will be examined by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAID) in Nairobi, while other parts of the helicopter with registration number 5Y-DSB will be sent abroad for metallurgical examination, data recovery, and other technical evaluations.

The head of Nandi County Criminal Investigation, Peter Ochieng, confirmed that an inquest has been initiated, and that they are now focusing on scientific and technical analysis to determine the cause of the accident.

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He urged the public to avoid speculation while the investigation continues, saying the full report will be ready within 30 days.

“We have prepared to reveal all the necessary information to determine the cause of this accident. The full report will be ready within 30 days,” he said.

The investigation was further strengthened on Monday morning with the arrival of Martin Nyaguto, Director of the Homicide Unit in Nairobi, who joined local officials and air crash investigators to reconstruct the events of the last minutes of the flight.

3. The Star

The newspaper reported on loopholes used by agents to transport Kenyans to fight in Russia’s war with Ukraine.

Kenyan authorities have expressed concern about citizens crossing the country’s borders secretly and using neighboring countries to travel abroad and join the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Officials told MPs that some recruits pass through Busia and Malaba to enter Uganda before traveling from Entebbe, while others deceive immigration officials by showing Addis Ababa as their last stop before heading to Moscow.

The Secretary General for Diaspora Affairs, Roseline Njogu, told Parliament that many Kenyans who ended up joining the Russian army were recruited through illegal channels run by unlicensed agents.

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“According to the information we have, every recruitment has been done by people who are not registered or controlled by us,” he said.

Although the government has put in place protective measures such as licensed agents, verification of labor contracts, and mandatory training before departure, many workers ignored those procedures and relied on illegal agents.

Officials compared the situation to the cases of Myanmar and Cambodia.

Some of the freed Kenyans revealed that they were deceived with promises of defense or construction jobs, but later found themselves dragged into the war. Others were told they would be assigned to non-combat roles, but were later sent to combat zones.

Njogu admitted that not all were deceived; some of them signed the agreements willingly but later wanted to withdraw after facing the reality of the war.

He emphasized that once contracts are signed, legally they cannot be cancelled.

Despite the tightening of checks at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, agents and employees continue to use alternative routes.

A report by the National Intelligence Service tabled in Parliament estimated that about 1,000 Kenyans have already joined the Russian army, which shows the scale of the challenge.