Sifuna reveals Ruto personally handpicked Mbadi and other ODM CS, defying Raila’s wishes
By Aloys Michael, February 25, 2026A fresh political storm is brewing within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ranks after Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna sensationally claimed that President William Ruto personally handpicked several Cabinet Secretaries drawn from the outfit, defying the wishes of the late Raila Odinga.
In an interview on a local radio station on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, the embattled ODM Secretary General continued his onslaught against the broad-based government arrangement between ODM and Kenya Kwanza, accusing President Ruto of bypassing party structures in recruiting key figures into his Cabinet.
“Ruto personally persuaded Mbadi, Joho, Wandayi, and Oparanya to join the government; their names were not submitted by the ODM party, contrary to the wishes of the late Raila Odinga,” he revealed.
The revelation comes amid widened cracks within ODM, even as three Cabinet Secretaries, John Mbadi (Treasury), Hassan Joho (Mining), and Opiyo Wandayi (Energy), face mounting criticism for engaging in overt partisan politics while serving in government.
Sifuna maintained that the inclusion of the ODM figures in Ruto’s Cabinet was not a formal party decision but rather the result of direct persuasion from State House.
“The day before, I had released a statement saying anyone who joins Ruto is going there in his or her wish. Shortly after, they came to lament to Raila that if he leaves them, so Raila started talking about the idea of ODM lending the government its experts,” he said.
The Senator suggested that the narrative of ODM lending experts to the government was crafted after the fact to sanitise what he views as individual political choices.
“I know these things. I dare you to come with religious books and swear, and everyone speaks the truth,” Sifuna dared the CS’s.
Sycophancy in govt?
The controversy escalated after Treasury CS John Mbadi hosted a delegation of Luo elders at his office, even as the national budget-making process entered a critical phase.
The meeting focused on ODM party politics and the unity of the Luo community, a move critics argue blurred the line between state duties and partisan mobilisation.
Mbadi later confirmed he would continue advancing the interests of the Luo community and ODM within the Kenya Kwanza administration.
During a press briefing in Nairobi on February 17, 2026, Mbadi acknowledged that divisions within ODM were not new.
“I think the elders, first and foremost, are concerned about the unity of the Luo community, then the unity of ODM. And I will tell you that the things that you are seeing happening today did not start yesterday, they started when Raila was alive, although they were muted,” Mbadi stated.
He also addressed Sifuna’s opposition to backing President Ruto’s 2027 re-election bid.
“This talk of not supporting President William Ruto by SG of the party happened even when Raila was alive, only that it was muted… so it was not as loud,” Mbadi added.
Campaigning for Ruto’s second term
The CS’s have further drawn scrutiny for publicly declaring support for President Ruto’s second term, with critics accusing them of thumbing their noses at the law by engaging in open political campaigning while in office.
Wandayi was seen at a rally in Siaya on February 22, 2026, donning orange party attire associated with ODM, including an orange shirt and hat. Both Joho and Mbadi have also been spotted in similar political regalia during recent events, unequivocal about their political stance.
“Before his death, Baba showed us the way and instructed us to work with Ruto. We will continue in it by working with Ruto until the last minute,” Wandayi stated.
“Some of us have decided that in the 2027 elections, we will support Ruto for his second term and move Kenya forward,” he added.
The optics of wearing party-branded clothing and addressing political rallies have raised questions about adherence to constitutional requirements for public officers to remain politically neutral.
As 2027 politics gather momentum, the tension between loyalty to ODM’s traditional opposition posture and collaboration within the Kenya Kwanza administration is becoming increasingly pronounced.