Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga has finally broken her silence on the growing internal wrangles within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), tensions that now threaten to split the party into two rival factions.
Since the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in October last year, ODM has gone through a turbulent period under the leadership of Dr Oburu Odinga, who is currently serving as the acting party leader.
The division within the party has largely been fueled by conflicting political directions. One side, led by Oburu and his allies, has reportedly declared that the ODM will support President William Ruto’s re-election bid in 2027. The opposing camp, led by embattled Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, has strongly rejected the idea of backing Ruto.
With the party seemingly on the brink of splitting, Ruth Odinga—who is Oburu’s sister—has stepped into the debate, accusing her brother of being at the centre of the ongoing turmoil, particularly over the move to remove Sifuna from his position.
Speaking during an interview on KTN News on Wednesday, Ruth defended the Nairobi senator, saying he had not violated ODM’s values as laid out by the late Raila Odinga.
She also revealed that she was among the few National Executive Committee (NEC) members who strongly opposed Sifuna’s removal.
“No, I don’t think he has done anything wrong,” Ruth said. “As Ruth Odinga, I support Edwin Sifuna in many cases of what he does. I was one of the people who opposed his removal. I felt due process should have been followed, and his reasons should have been heard.”
According to Ruth, the party leadership under Oburu failed to follow the proper procedure in removing Sifuna as Secretary General.
She argued that the outspoken senator should have been given an opportunity to respond to the accusations levelled against him before any drastic decision was made.
“The party should have followed due process,” she insisted. “Edwin Sifuna is the secretary general, and if there are disciplinary concerns, he should have been given the right to defend himself.”
Ruth went further to stress that internal party mechanisms such as arbitration, mediation, and other structures should have been exhausted before kicking Sifuna out.
Her remarks come at a time when ODM’s future unity remains uncertain, with the party increasingly divided over its political stance ahead of the 2027 elections.
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