Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga seems to have found himself at a crossroads on whether to stick with President William Ruto or side with his firebrand Secretary General Edwin Sifuna.

Raila’s stance on the broad-based government is sending mixed signals not only within the Orange party but also among allies of President William Ruto.

Already, his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has planned a National Delegates Conference (NDC) to, among other things, review the 10-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in March.

“We are going to sit down as a party and discuss this issue. We are going to use the proper organs of the party to come up with a solution. What was said by Sifuna was a personal opinion,” said Raila while at a function in Ugunja.

While others within the party feel that NDC will give a clear roadmap on working with the Kenya Kwanza administration, others feel it will be a meeting to ratify kicking out Sifuna from his Secretary General’s position.

Recently, during a TV interview, Raila was categorical that he would support Ruto and the Broad-Based government till 2027.

However, a few days later, Sifuna, who is also the senator for Nairobi, criticised the Kenya Kwanza administration, claiming that the MoU signed between the Orange party and UDA was dead.

However, Raila’s defence of Sifuna at an ODM grassroots meeting in Kakamega appears to have been a tacit approval of Sifuna’s sentiment.

Assessing pact

The call for an NDC has emerged after the Nairobi Senator, during a prime-time local TV show, rubbished and discredited the Broad-Based Government, saying that the Kenya Kwanza administration has failed to implement the 10-point MoU.

“The reason I declared the MoU signed between the ODM and UDA dead is because the initial argument for entering into it was two-fold. First, it was for the preservation of life because we were losing people unnecessarily. We all agreed that this must stop. The second reason was to sustain our democratic State,” said Sifuna.

He distanced himself from the ongoing cooperation, stating that the pact no longer holds and should be considered defunct.

According to Sifuna, the ODM-UDA pact is hurting the Orange party, citing that for the first time since the inception of the ODM party, aspirants are not jostling for the ticket in the yet to be declared by-elections across the country.

However, Sifuna’s remarks sparked a political storm in the party with a section of Raila’s allies telling him to bolt out of the party if he is not comfortable with the Broad-Based arrangement.

Raila’s loyalists, his brother and Siaya Senator Dr Oburu Odinga, ODM National Chair Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay Governor), National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohammed (Suna East MP), National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee Sam Atandi (Alego/Usonga MP) and Uriri MP Mark Nyamita have been categorical that Sifuna should be disciplined.

“If you are opposed to ODM and you want to bolt out, could you kindly put it officially to the party. Can someone tell Sifuna to ask Ababu Namwamba, who was a powerful SG, what happened to him?” said Oburu.

Wanga also did not spare the Nairobi lawmaker, saying that the position of the party to support UDA has not changed.

“We are in broad-based government, and as the National Chairperson, I want to say here, someone talking contrary to the party position is not talking on behalf of the party. He will need to explain to the party who has sent him,” charged Wanga in reference to the ODM’s NDC.

On his part, Junet cautioned against having confusion in the party, but development from the Kenya Kwanza administration, adding that they will not allow the MoU to die.

“If the MoU is dead, kindly bring it back to the Central Committee so that we can deliberate and declare it dead,” said Junet while at a function in Nyatike, Migori County.

According to Nyamita, Sifuna’s position was inconsistent and undermined the party’s collective stance.

Hardly had 24 hours lapsed following Nyamita’s rebuke, Raila came to the defence of his Secretary General, saying that he has a right to voice his opinion.

“It is not a must for people to have the same opinion, and we must defend the right to speak. If Sifuna has spoken, he has the right to do and if one feels that they have a different opinion from what Sifuna is saying, then they should be free to say it. That is democracy,” charged Raila.