Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has launched a scathing attack on Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, demanding his immediate ouster as the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General. The vocal legislator accused Sifuna of sabotaging the party’s unity and derailing its cooperation with President William Ruto’s broad-based administration.
Speaking on Sunday, October 19, shortly after Raila Odinga’s burial in Bondo, Siaya County, Cherargei alleged that Sifuna had deliberately undermined ODM’s post-Raila direction. He claimed that Sifuna’s defiance against the party’s engagement with the government had made him “the biggest threat to ODM’s growth.”
“The entire ODM leadership, except Sifuna, have confirmed that Raila Odinga instructed them to stay and work with President Ruto’s administration under a broad-based government,” Cherargei stated. “By the end of this year, he must be removed from ODM as Secretary General. He is standing in the way of progress.”
Cherargei further alleged that Sifuna was attempting to weaken the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Raila Odinga and President William Ruto earlier in the year. He described the Nairobi Senator as “an opposition mole within ODM,” claiming his actions were designed to frustrate the spirit of cooperation between the two leaders.
The Nandi Senator’s remarks add to growing political tension surrounding ODM’s future direction after Raila’s death, with internal factions divided on whether to maintain collaboration with Ruto’s administration or rebuild as a strong opposition movement.
During Raila’s burial, Edwin Sifuna had defended the party’s independence, insisting that ODM would remain faithful to Raila’s vision and contest every elective seat in the 2027 General Election. “Raila Odinga was a great man who understood Kenyans,” Sifuna said. “I want to encourage ODM leaders to stay together and listen to what Kenyans want. Raila himself said that ODM will field candidates in 2027, and that is what we shall do.”
Sifuna’s remarks have since sparked sharp reactions from leaders aligned to the pro-government faction within ODM, who argue that his position threatens the new political partnership being cultivated between the party and Ruto’s administration.
As ODM navigates the post-Raila era, Cherargei’s call for Sifuna’s dismissal underscores the deepening ideological divide within the party — one that could shape Kenya’s broader political alliances ahead of the 2027 elections.
