Robert Alai: ODM gave Sifuna too much power and now they can’t control him
By Mabonga Makhanu, March 30, 2026Kileleshwa Member of County Assembly Robert Alai has stated that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party gave its embattled secretary general Edwin Sifuna too much power, and now they do not know how to control him.
While speaking during an interview with a local radio station, Alai, who is a known critic of Sifuna, said that the Nairobi senator’s actions, which he termed as going overboard, are a result of the ODM party itself, as they can no longer manage to control him.
“ODM leaders have given Sifuna so much power that they no longer know how to manage him. At this point, I don’t blame Sifuna because he is bold enough to act on that power. The people destroying ODM are not Sifuna but the party’s leadership,” Alai stated.
He went on to state that even after differing with the party and attacking it, the car Sifuna is using to fight the Oburu Odinga-led faction belongs to the party.
He added that during the recent Special Delegates Conference held at Jamhuri Grounds, an event that Sifuna and his Linda Mwananchi allies boycotted and instead set up a parallel meeting at Ufungamano House, he still had a reserved and labelled seat at the SDC, despite it being known that he would not attend.
ODM SDC
According to the outspoken ward representative, the fact that Sifuna had a reserved seat at Jamhuri Grounds shows that he still holds power over the Oburu Odinga-led ODM faction, and they cannot control or take action against him.
Alai further added that Sifuna is a very calculative politician who understands that the ODM party will do nothing to him, which is why he continues with his current actions. According to Alai, the people destroying the party are not Sifuna, as many would think, but the party leadership led by Oburu Odinga and Chairperson Gladys Wanga.
He warned that if they do not wake up and take a tough stance against Sifuna, it will set a wrong precedent within the party, encouraging other members to behave similarly due to a lack of consequences.
ODM wrangles
This comes at a time when the ODM party is deeply fragmented, with two factions emerging: the Sifuna-led team, dubbed Linda Mwananchi, and the Oburu Odinga side, referred to as Linda Ground, both conflicting on the direction the party should take ahead of the 2027 general election.
Catherine Omanyo, the deputy secretary general of the party, stated that whatever the Sifuna team is doing is acceptable and reflects democracy at play but insisted that even democracy must have boundaries. She added that the relevant party organs responsible for discipline will step in to call the rebels to order.