Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has launched yet another scathing attack on Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna over his stance on the party’s role in President William Ruto’s government.

In a statement shared via his X account on Saturday, May 10, 2025, Kaluma accused Sifuna of denying the political reality, arguing that ODM is already part of the Kenya Kwanza administration, following the formal agreement between the two parties.

According to the outspoken legislator, Sifuna’s position contradicts the realities of a presidential system of governance, where a formal opposition does not exist once a party aligns itself with the ruling coalition.

He pointed out the irony in Sifuna’s stance, highlighting the fact that the Nairobi Senator had access to the Memorandum of Understanding between ODM and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), yet seemingly fails to recognise ODM’s active role within the government.

“My brother Edwin Sifuna, who read the Memorandum of Understanding between UDA and ODM, is not aware that ODM is in government! So, where is ODM in this presidential system where there is no Opposition?” Kaluma questioned.

ODM’s position in KK

Sifuna has consistently rejected the broad-based government narrative, leaving ODM’s position on its alliance with the ruling coalition blurred.

Kaluma’s criticism comes just a day after he defended Treasury CS John Mbadi and Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi, accusing Sifuna, Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, and Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana of using the Senate to attack the two CSs for simply highlighting government projects in the Nyanza region.

“Edwin Sifuna, Dr Boni Khalwale, and Hon. Mungatana spent the entire morning in the Senate bashing Hon. John Mbadi and Hon. Opiyo Wandayi for spelling out the government projects planned for Nyanza,” Kaluma said.

He argued that their criticism had little to do with holding leaders accountable and more to do with political jealousy.

“These guys must learn to live with the Broad-Based Government experts, Hon. Mbadi and Hon. Wandayi. They are here to stay. The Senate has zero power over them,” he added.

Kaluma insisted that those pushing back against leaders working with the government must come to terms with the evolving political arrangement, which he described as more inclusive.

The controversy escalated after Mbadi failed to appear before the Senate on Wednesday, May 7, where he was expected to respond to questions. Speaker Amason Kingi informed the House that the CS had written a letter explaining he was engaged in other official duties.

Sifuna, however, was unimpressed. He questioned why Mbadi had time to appear on national TV but skipped the Senate.

“Yesterday, at night, just before the game between Inter Milan and Barcelona began, I saw the CS for Treasury on Citizen TV. He has time to appear before Citizen TV, but he has no time to appear before this House,” he said.

“I refused to watch that interview and switched to the football match because I was expecting him here,” he added.

Sifuna also questioned the idea of a broad-based government, calling it vague and misleading.

“Let me first begin by saying this thing called broad-based government – I don’t know where it exists. I don’t recognise any entity called broad-based. There’s a government of Kenya Kwanza under the leadership of President William Ruto. Every Cabinet Secretary who serves in that government serves the Kenya Kwanza government,” Sifuna declared.

He further criticised some CSs for pushing ethnic narratives by focusing too much on development projects in their regions.

“Some of these individuals who joined the government recently think they are there to represent their ethnic communities,” Sifuna stated.

Adding;

“So the rest of us Luhyas are sitting there wondering who is going to speak about the projects in Bugoma.”