Lurambi Member of Parliament Bishop Titus Khamala has stated that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) risks becoming a shell following the attempted ouster of Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna from the party.

While speaking to the media on Saturday, May 16, 2026, the third-term MP said ODM’s move to eject Sifuna from the secretary general post was a bad decision.

The vocal MP, who recently decamped from the ODM party to join President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA), further stated that after Sifuna’s purge, the Nairobi senator might leave with party supporters, leaving it as what he termed a shell.

The cleric-turned-MP continued predicting doom for his former ODM party, stating that even President William Ruto might be forced to shift focus from the Oburu Odinga-led “Linda Ground” and begin negotiating with the Sifuna team since what the president wants is to consolidate numbers ahead of 2027.

“Utapata ODM imebaki shell, na sifuna ameenda na watu; utaona ata president anasema, ‘Wacha nitafute huyu Sifuna na huyu Osotsi na hawa watu niongee nao, kwa sababu yeye anataka numbers,” the MP stated.

This was in response to Cooperatives and SMEs Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya’s recent remarks, where he stated that it is becoming extremely difficult to campaign for President William Ruto in Western Kenya after the ODM party began its battle with Sifuna by stripping him of his secretary general position.

Kamala recently backed Oparanya, saying that it has become hard to sell the “Tutam” narrative to the Mulembe community since the region also has nothing to benefit from the current regime.

He added that whenever one tries to woo the region to support the president, they are asked by constituents to show tangible projects that President William Ruto has delivered to the region.

Ruto’s western Kenya campaign roadmap

The recent outbursts by leaders from Western Kenya allied to Ruto, expressing the difficulty of campaigning in the region, come at a time when the president has several campaign machinery structures aimed at wooing the region to rally behind his bid.

The first campaign caucus, which Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula claims to be the brain behind, is led by Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka and dubbed the Western Kenya Ruto Campaign Caucus.

It encompasses all Western region governors, excluding Trans Nzoia County boss George Natembeya, who is a key figure within the United Opposition.

The other caucus is the Western Kenya Parliamentary Caucus, led by Sirisia MP John Waluke, and has been tasked with similar responsibilities as the Lusaka–Savula-led group.

The COTU Secretary General has also been tasked with mobilising elders and opinion-shapers who previously supported the late Raila Odinga to shift their loyalty to President William Ruto.

Wetang’ula-Mudavadi’s pact

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has also proposed a joint alliance with Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Oparanya to set up another team aimed at rallying the region behind President William Ruto, who is seeking a second term.

Political analyst Martin Oloo has come out to take a swipe at the political events taking place in Western Kenya, saying that the region would only vote for a candidate aligned with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and George Natembeya.