In a political atmosphere thick with disillusionment, defiance, and ideological betrayal, ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna has drawn a line in the sand—he will not resign, despite standing at odds with party leader Raila Odinga over ODM’s increasingly warm ties with President William Ruto.
The firebrand Nairobi Senator is unflinching. While Raila Odinga has embraced cooperation with the Kenya Kwanza regime until 2027, Sifuna has taken the path of resistance, warning Kenyans not to trust Ruto with another term and publicly branding the ODM-UDA pact as a betrayal of party ideals.
“The reason I will not resign yet is because I have not given up yet, I have not given up on members of the ODM. There is still belief and trust within the ranks of the party that Baba knows what is right for the people and that he will do the right thing.
On the day that I give up, I will tell you, I will say it publicly that I have lost the battle to rescue this party and to bring it back to where it was,” he declared during a candid appearance on Citizen TV.
Sifuna’s statement comes at a moment of ideological confusion within the Orange party. The once unapologetic voice of opposition has, in the eyes of many, blurred its vision, leaving its base stranded between loyalty and disillusionment.
And while many expected Sifuna to bow out quietly, especially after openly opposing the direction Raila is taking, he has chosen instead to wage an internal battle for the party’s soul.
“It’s not only Sifuna who can do the job of SG of ODM, and this position is not mine forever. I have said it; it has been the honour of my life to serve in this position.
There are thousands of members of ODM, young people, who can do this job. Even when I was appointed eight years ago, I was 35 years old.
We can find another 35-year-old who maybe can articulate the positions clearer than I do. So, the issue is not about positions,” he said.
But while he is open to being replaced by the party’s top brass, he remains firm in his convictions—and draws a personal red line:
“I think if a decision is taken to formally support William Ruto for 27, that is something that I cannot abide personally. And I’m sure everybody would respect that.
But because that decision has not been made, that is why I’m saying I’m holding out that there is still time for us to correct course,” he stated, leaving no doubt about where his loyalty lies.
As ODM leaders flirt with unity talks and Ruto-friendly overtures, Sifuna’s voice becomes the last bastion of rebellion inside the party’s upper ranks.
He warns that the continued alignment with Ruto’s administration risks sinking ODM’s 2027 ambitions—and alienating its core base.
“I believe we have a good chance as a political party. I don’t know why people are looking at other people. Yet, we can just look at ourselves.
We have been the hope of the people for a very long time. We still can be that hope of the people. I don’t know why people within ODM themselves, even when they talk about presidential candidates, have forgotten that Mzee is still there,” he lamented, echoing the frustrations of a party faithful that once rallied behind Raila’s unwavering opposition.
Sifuna didn’t shy away from accountability either. In a rare moment of vulnerability, he apologised to Kenyans, acknowledging the confusion and betrayal felt by millions who believed in ODM’s legacy of resistance.
And with humility and grit, he vowed to stay in the trenches—not to cling to a title, but to fight for the party’s return to its true identity.
“I have not given up.” That simple declaration now hangs in the air—not as a plea, but as a challenge to the party, to its leadership, and to the people who once painted the country orange in hope of a better tomorrow
