Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna speaking to Citizen TV on July 25, 2024.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has said that he is open to talks with President William Ruto regarding moving the country forward.

According to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General, who is known to be a hardliner in governance matters, he does not mind engaging the president on matters of national importance. 

“I don’t consider William Ruto such a bad person that I cannot have a conversation with him, there is no one I cannot have a conversation with,” said Sifuna. 

“I have been on record saying {this} and I remember getting into trouble with some of the people online. I will talk to anyone, because at the end of the day that is the way out of the current crisis.”  

Sifuna argued that he has previously engaged other leaders that whom he did not agree with. 

“ A few weeks ago I had a conversation with Aaron Cheriuyot, a person I have come to greatly respect because of the way he has conducted himself in the past two days and understanding that the nation is greater than all of us,” said Sifuna.

“Sifuna is not averse to having conversations about the nation about anyone, we sat down with Aaron Cheriuyot, and we said there are things we have done wrong, and all of us have contributed to the current state of affairs. Can we have a conversation? And I was very proud.”

Sifuna went on to elaborate that some of the positive actions the president has mentioned have been a result of honest conversations about the state of the country.

“Yesterday the senate passed a motion to require some of these things that we have been saying are preconditions. For instance compensation for the people who were shot and killed during the maadnamano or hurt, and compensation for businesses that have been destroyed. We have called for an amnesty of all people who were arrested during peaceful protests and you saw some of that in the president’s speech,” said the Nairobi Senator.