Jeremiah Kioni: Kicking out Edwin Sifuna will split ODM into pieces
By Faith Lagat, January 8, 2026Jubilee Party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni has cautioned the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) against any move to expel Nairobi Senator and ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, warning that such an action would deeply fracture the party.
Speaking during an interview on Thursday, January 8, 2026, Kioni said removing Sifuna would mark a dangerous turning point for the opposition outfit.
He argued that Sifuna plays a critical role within the party and represents a significant constituency of ODM supporters who hold differing views on the party’s cooperation with the broad-based government.
“Kicking out Sifuna from ODM is splitting the party into pieces, and you do not need anyone to explain that to you. Sifuna has managed, both when Baba Raila Odinga was alive and even after, to capture the imagination of a sizable section of ODM supporters.”
“If Mama Ida had not intervened yesterday and stopped the shenanigans within ODM, this country would be very different today. It would have marked the real beginning of the end of ODM,” Kioni said.
According to Kioni, this group includes ODM members who supported Raila Odinga’s decision to work with President William Ruto’s administration, as well as those who opposed it.
“These include those who agreed with Baba when he joined the broad-based government and those who disagreed with him. Baba was very careful, even in his last days, to ensure that he never lost the party or its followers. It was a very delicate balancing act, and he managed it well.”
He added that Sifuna continues to represent dissenting voices within the party. “Sifuna now remains the voice of that other side.”
PHOTO/@@TheODMparty/X.
Post-Raila ODM struggles
Kioni’s remarks come at a time of heightened internal strain within ODM following the death of party leader Raila Odinga on October 15, 2025. Since his passing, the party has been navigating divisions over its relationship with the broad-based government and charting its direction ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Tensions escalated earlier this month when Migori Senator Eddy Oketch filed a petition on January 5, 2026, seeking disciplinary action against Sifuna. The petition accused the ODM Secretary General of gross misconduct, indiscipline, and associating with rival political formations. It called for his suspension, removal from parliamentary leadership positions, and expulsion from the party.
However, the move was short-lived. The petition was withdrawn a day later following interventions by senior party leaders, including Oburu Oginga, who urged dialogue and restraint in line with Raila Odinga’s long-standing approach to conflict resolution within ODM.
The easing of tensions was further reinforced during events marking what would have been Raila Odinga’s 81st birthday on January 7, 2026, where calls for unity took centre stage.
Ida Odinga’s unity push
During the commemorations, Ida Odinga appealed to ODM leaders to prioritise unity and dialogue to protect the party’s legacy. Her intervention was widely credited with calming tensions and preventing an escalation of internal conflict.
In response, Sifuna publicly expressed his willingness to reconcile with party colleagues. “I have listened to Ida Odinga. There is no one in ODM I would not sit down with, no matter how many times they have insulted me. Mama Ida, you have asked us to sit and talk. I am very prepared; it doesn’t matter what happened between us, as Mama has said,” he stated.
Sifuna also reaffirmed his commitment to ODM’s founding values and principles. “You have told us to always consult and always be firm and fair and always remember the principles that the ODM party was built on, with that, there will be nothing to worry about.”