Ruth Odinga: I stand with Sifuna, even if the party feels differently
By Mustafa Juma, February 18, 2026Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga has once again publicly declared her support for embattled Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna.
Speaking on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, during an interview with a local TV station, the late ODM party leader Raila Odinga’s young sister revealed that she opposed attempts to remove Sifuna from his position within the party.
Ruth went ahead to note that while she supports many of Sifuna’s positions and actions, she acknowledges that the broader party may hold a different view.
“I support Edwin Sifuna in many cases of what he does. But what the party feels is different. I am one of the people who opposed Sifuna’s removal,” Ruth stated.
Sifuna’s ouster
Sifuna was recently removed as the ODM SG following a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Mombasa, although the court has blocked the move.
ODM appointed Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo in an acting capacity, the party leader Oburu Odinga endorsing her leadership.
This is not the first time Ruth has publicly come out to defend Sifuna.
Ruth’s defence of Sifuna
Early this month, Ruth defended Sifuna from attacks following his TV interview, where he questioned the source of funding for the party’s high-profile Linda Ground rallies.
Taking to her official Facebook page on Thursday, February 5, 2026, Ruth criticised members of the Orange party who have labelled Sifuna a “rebel” for publicly raising concerns over the management and financing of the party’s recent massive public events.
She highlighted that Sifuna had openly admitted on national television that ODM had not spent any funds on campaigns that clearly run into millions of shillings, fuelling questions about whether governors, MPs, or undisclosed philanthropists are financing the rallies, and what, if anything, they stand to gain.
Ruth Odinga also raised concerns about the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between President William Ruto and her late brother Raila, signed in March 2025, stating that its implementation has been slow and lacking political goodwill.
She questioned why Sifuna’s declaration that the MoU is effectively “dead” is being treated as treasonous.
“In recent months, Nairobi Senator and ODM Secretary-General Hon. Edwin Sifuna – alongside a group of party members and legislators frequently labeled as ‘rebels’ – has been at the center of a deepening political rift. This friction stems from the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) established between President William Ruto and the late former Prime Minister, Hon. Raila Odinga, in March 2025,” Ruth stated.
“But it is the attacks following his recent interview on Citizen TV that have got me wondering how fast political allegiances can shift. He questions the very things we have been questioning despite the online attacks by (hired?) bloggers.”