Sifuna fumes after being accused of shielding governors from oversight
By Mabonga Makhanu, September 24, 2025Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna strongly defended himself after being accused of shielding governors from oversight by the Senate.
During the Senate’s afternoon sitting on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, the matter was raised by the Mombasa Senator, who claimed that Sifuna was protecting Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sharif Nassir from proper scrutiny.
In response, Sifuna firmly denied the accusations. He clarified that he does not single out any governor for protection and urged the Speaker to distinguish between his roles.
According to him, his statements made during political rallies in his capacity as the ODM Secretary General should not be confused with his work in the Senate.
“I don’t pick any governor for protection; you as speaker, know Sifuna wears many hats. Distinguish the things I say as the SG of ODM in a rally. That doesn’t mean that I am speaking about matters of oversight,” Sifuna stated.
Sifuna explained that his remarks in Mombasa, where he was dressed in ODM party colours, were directed at matters of party hierarchy and respect for the deputy party leader and not about shielding the governor from Senate oversight.
“I have never said that the governor of Mombasa should not be subjected to oversight. I was speaking at a public baraza in Mombasa. As SG of ODM, I was donned in ODM party colours from top to bottom, and I was saying that people who are low down in the hierarchy of ODM must respect the deputy party leader – not to say I was protecting the governor of Mombasa from oversight,” he added.
According to Edwin Sifuna, the Mombasa senator took him out of context, since what he meant then during that rally was confined to his party, ODM, and he was addressing his juniors in the Orange Party, ordering them to have respect for the governor, who also doubles as the party’s deputy party leader.
Senate recesses
This comes a day after the Senate resumed sittings after a month-long recess.
They have now embarked on an intensive legislative period that will end in December before proceeding to another hiatus that will end in mid-February.
The recesses as provided by the Parliament Act are always aimed at giving the lawmakers a break and a balance between grassroots issues and national legislation.