Sifuna: Biggest interest is not for me to be SG but for ODM to progress
By Ndiritu Wanjiru, April 30, 2026Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has downplayed personal political ambitions within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), saying his main interest is the long-term survival and strengthening of the party rather than occupying the position of secretary general.
Speaking during a local radio interview on Thursday, April 30, 2026, Sifuna emphasised that his remarks at the late Raila Odinga’s burial reflected his genuine political conviction about the future of ODM.
“The biggest interest is not for Sifuna to be SG, but for the party to progress because what I said at Raila’s burial is what I believe in,” he said.
Sifuna said ODM was one of Raila Odinga’s most enduring political legacies, pointing to the veteran opposition leader as a key person in the struggle for multiparty democracy in Kenya. He noted that Raila’s political philosophy placed strong emphasis on institutional party strength and continuity beyond individual leaders.
“I believe that ODM is one of Raila’s big legacies as a person who believed in multiparty democracy and actually fought for it. He believed that political parties need to be strengthened; they need to be perpetual… the party needs to survive for all of us,” Sifuna said.
Sifuna: I was ready to resign
He also said he was ready to step down from the position of the secretary general, saying he would have formally informed the party’s leadership, led by Siaya senator Oburu Odinga.
“I was prepared to give Oburu a letter and say, ‘Let me allow you to pick an SG,” he added.
The Nairobi senator said the future of ODM should not be dictated by the political aspirations of individuals but by building a strong party structure that can survive beyond its founders.
ODM’s succession politics
His remarks come at a time when internal ODM succession politics have been gaining attention following Raila’s diminished active role in day-to-day party affairs. Sifuna has been at the forefront, leading the Linda Mwananchi faction that opposes the ODM party’s leadership’s affiliation to President Ruto’s re-election ahead of the 2027 general elections.
His remarks have opened up the ongoing debate within ODM on issues of leadership succession, party restructuring and the broader question of how the party moves on into a post-Raila political era while maintaining its national appeal.