Nelson Havi: Youthful leaders in Nyanza want Sifuna out of ODM
By Joel Masibo, October 27, 2025Former Law Society of Kenya President Nelso Havi has revealed that it is the youthful and elected leaders from the Nyanza region who want Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General, Edwin Sifuna, to be ejected from the political outfit after the death of party leader, Raila Odinga.
Sifuna has sharply differed with the top brass in the ODM party regarding the newly found working relationship between the Oburu Odinga-led outfit and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in the broad-based government formation.
Defiant Sifuna
A section of ODM members, comprising the national chairperson and Homa Bay County Governor Gladys Wanga, has insisted that the part will keep working with President William Ruto in the broad-based government ahead of the 2027 general election, signalling ODM’s support for Ruto’s re-election bid.
Further, ODM deputy party leader Simba Arati has been urging President Ruto to ditch his UDA party and vie for the country’s presidency in 2027 under the ticket of ODM as a founder member.
However, with Sifuna reading from a different script regarding ODM’s future alliances, Nelson Havi has stated that the Nairobi City County Senator is wanted out of the party by young leaders from the larger Nyanza parts of Kenya over his firm stand against the broad-based government formation.
”It is the youthful elected leaders in ODM from Luo Nyanza who have expressed discomfort with Sifuna. Raila Odinga wanted ODM to be a national party and not an ethnic party,” Havi said in a local TV interview on Monday, October 27, 2025.
”The remainder of Edwin Sifuna as a youthful leader in ODM despite persistent efforts by people to kick him out is an indicator that Raila saw himself in Edwin Sifuna,” He added.
ODM-UDA pact at risk
Nelson Havi also predicted the fallout of ODM-UDA marriage ahead of the 2027 general election, saying Ruto could easily ditch UDA and seek his re-election on an ODM or the Kenya African National Union (KANU) party, shortly after structuring a working relationship with its chairman, Gideon Moi.
”Political formations are so temporary and are worse than plastic paper wrapping because they tend to shift every day. I forsee a situation where President Ruto runs for the presidency in 2027 on a coalition ticket of ODM and KANU,” Havi said.
Meanwhile, a section of politicians from across UDA and ODM have linked Edwin Sifuna to the extinction of ODM if he continues in his present capacity as the party’s Secretary General.