Mbeere North Constituency Member of Parliament Leo Wamuthende has blasted the ousted ODM secretary and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, saying he has committed political suicide by being ousted as the ODM Secretary General.

Wamuthende has said that ODM made Sifuna who he is, and therefore, his ouster is equal to the destruction of his political career.

Speaking in an interview with a local TV station on Thursday, February 12, 2026, Wamuthende said that Sifuna’s exit from ODM will not take down the party. He said that Sifuna has committed a mistake in his political journey that is equal to a political suicide.

“Sifuna has made a grave mistake by walking away from ODM; politically, it amounts to suicide. ODM is bigger than one individual. Sifuna’s exit will not bring it down, especially at a time when Kenyans want political parties and leaders to work together and focus on development,” Wamuthende said.

Sifuna replaced by Catherine Omanyo

Wamuthende’s sentiments come after the ODM party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) decided to remove Sifuna as Secretary General. Consequently, the party appointed Catherine Omanyo, in an acting capacity, to replace Sifuna as the Secretary General of the Party.

The decision was made during an NEC meeting in Mombasa on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. ODM announced that Deputy Secretary General Catherine Omanyo will serve in an acting capacity until a substantive officeholder is elected.

“Party National Executive Committee meeting in Mombasa today has resolved to relieve SG @edwinsifuna of his responsibilities with immediate effect,” ODM stated.

“Effectively, Hon. Catherine Omanyo, who is one of the Deputy Secretary Generals, will act in this position until a substantive holder of the office is elected,” ODM added.

ODM Conflicts

The decision follows months of reported internal tensions within ODM, with two factions emerging. One faction, led by the party leader Oburu Odinga, was in support of the broad-based government, and the other, led by Edwin Sifuna, was opposed to the government.

Sifuna, a staunch defender of party leader Raila Odinga, had faced mounting criticism over the party’s evolving relationship with the Kenya Kwanza government.

The shake-up comes at a time when opposition alignments are shifting ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Sifuna is now set to announce his next political direction after his ouster as the ODM Secretary General.