Sifuna fires back after Ruto claims Raila was his only worthy rival
By Kenneth Mwenda, November 1, 2025ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has dismissed President William Ruto’s assertion that the late Raila Odinga was the only politician capable of challenging him in the 2027 elections, insisting the party remains strong and ready to field its own candidate.
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Ruto made the remarks on Thursday during a tour of Kakamega, declaring Raila would have been his only serious opponent.
“Mtu mwenye ningeshindana naye ni Raila, lakini sasa hawa wengine nitawamalizia asubuhi na mapema,” Ruto said, adding that other aspirants lacked ideas and a clear development plan.
Speaking in Mombasa on Saturday, November, 1, 2025, during an ODM meeting, Sifuna rejected the President’s comments and said ODM has several capable leaders who could take over the party ticket and mount a serious challenge.
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Sifuna said the party is not dependent on a single figure and that Raila’s political movement remains intact.
“Mimi najua tukiamua leo hii ya kwamba tunamsimamisha party leader wetu 2027, watu wanaenda nyumbani,” he said.
“Tukiamua tunasimamisha huyu Abdulswamad, ama deputy party leaders wale wengine wote, tutashinda huo uchaguzi. Tukisema SG wetu asimame kura 2027, hiyo uchaguzi tunashinda tena mapema.”
He went further, addressing Ruto’s suggestion that Raila was the only threat he faced.
“So naskia kuna watu wanazunguka wakisema ooh, ati ni Baba pekee alikuwa anaweza kuangusha wao kura. Kuna mjumbe hapa ametuambia mtoto wa simba ni nini?… watashangaa sana.”
Sifuna signalled that ODM could soon unveil a successor to Raila while stressing that the party’s focus remains unity and organisation.
Clarifies ODM-UDA pact
The Nairobi Senator also moved to clear confusion around the broad-based government agreement signed earlier this year. He insisted the deal does not amount to a coalition between ODM and Ruto’s UDA.
“Mkataba huo, Baba mwenyewe aliwaambia mwenye kuandika mkataba huo ni nani? Sifuna, mimi huyu,” he said.
“Niliandika mimi mwenyewe nikasema ‘this agreement does not constitute a coalition agreement with UDA.’ Iko hapo, Ruto alisign, Baba alisign.”
He said some individuals were trying to twist the arrangement ahead of the November by-elections.
“I hear people going around saying there are broad-based candidates in the by-elections. Broad-based is not a party, and therefore, it has no candidates,” he said.
Sifuna stressed that ODM would run its own candidates in the mini-polls.
No room for pro-Ruto chants
Sifuna also told ODM members not to echo the “two-terms” chant associated with Ruto’s re-election bid during party campaigns.
He said the party has not decided how it will approach the 2027 presidential race and warned against premature alignment with the President.
“There is no presidential election in these by-elections,” he said. “We sat as the central committee and agreed we have not decided how the party will approach 2027. That decision will be made by the top leadership.”
Ruto welcomed back – with conditions
The remarks come days after ODM leaders including Oburu Odinga and Governor Simba Arati suggested Ruto could rejoin ODM, where he was once a founding member, though not without conditions. Arati even hinted Ruto could get the ODM ticket if he returned.
Sifuna did not address the invitation directly, but his comments reinforced the position that ODM will chart its own 2027 path and is confident in its leadership line-up.
As ODM reorganises after Raila’s passing, the party now faces the task of managing internal expectations, navigating its broad-based cooperation with the government, and preparing to unveil its next presidential contender.
For now, Sifuna insists the movement has depth and is not short of a successor.