Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) chairperson Gladys Wanga has accused Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna of contradicting himself over the appointment of Oburu Odinga as the party’s leader.

Speaking to a local TV station on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, Wanga said that Sifuna presided over the very process he now disputes.

Wanga said Sifuna chaired the National Governing Council (NGC) session in Mombasa that endorsed Oburu’s leadership following the death of party leader Raila Odinga.

“When the party made a decision on the issue of Dr Oburu and the NGC, which confirmed Dr Oburu, the session was conducted by Edwin Sifuna in Mombasa, conducted fully, and the swearing in and everything,” Wanga said.

“When he (Sifuna) left, he was on national TV saying that Dr Oburu is illegitimately in office. When you delegitimise the leader of an organisation, then that organisation has no way forward.”

Wanga has also accused Sifuna of going against party’s position, despite being the mouthpiece of the party.

“When you are the mouthpiece of the party, it is important that you are able to speak the position of the party on behalf. When you speak the exact opposite, then the position you hold becomes untenable. Many people said why have you chased Sifuna from the party, The truth of the matter is, we did not chase anybody from the party; we only said it is no longer tenable for you to speak on our behalf because when we are going in direction X, you speak in direction Y,” she said.

“Many said it is because he is opposing the president. We said no, we could be opposing the president, and he is supporting, and if the party decides that we are opposing, our spokesperson must say we are opposing, even if he is supporting. The president’s hand is not in this.”

Oburu’s appointment

Oburu’s rise to the helm of ODM followed a transition process triggered by Raila Odinga’s death in October 2025. Party organs, including the National Governing Council, moved to ensure continuity by appointing an acting leader as required under ODM structures.

The NGC meeting held in Mombasa endorsed Oburu as acting party leader, a decision backed by party resolutions and later defended by senior officials.

In a strongly worded response to critics, Oburu himself insisted that all current officials, including himself, are serving legitimately under party organ decisions.

“All Party officials are serving… supported by Party organ resolutions,” Oduru stated.

The veteran politician, who is Raila Odinga’s elder brother and a long-serving ODM figure, was seen as a transitional leader tasked with stabilizing the party during a sensitive period.

Sifuna’s position

Despite his role in party leadership, Sifuna has publicly questioned the legality of Oburu’s position, arguing that certain decisions did not fully align with party procedures.

His remarks, including claims that Oburu was “not duly elected,” triggered sharp reactions from within ODM ranks and exposed widening cracks in the party.

Sifuna has also maintained that major decisions affecting the party should be subjected to broader consultation, including a National Delegates Convention (NDC), which is the party’s highest decision-making organ.

Deepening ODM divisions

The dispute highlights a broader leadership struggle within ODM as it navigates a post-Raila era, with factions emerging over legitimacy, direction, and political strategy.

Wanga’s latest remarks underscore efforts by one faction to defend the process that installed Oburu and to push back against internal dissent, warning that undermining leadership decisions could weaken the party at a critical time.

Her statement adds to mounting pressure on dissenting leaders to align with party resolutions, even as calls for unity and stability continue within one of Kenya’s most influential political parties.