"Respect the Hierarchy": CS John Mbadi Warns Sifuna Amid ODM Leadership Wrangles

Published By The Statesman For The Statesman Digital
1 day ago

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is experiencing rising internal tensions as Secretary General Edwin Sifuna comes under fire from former party chairman and current Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi.

Speaking to Ramogi TV's political desk, Mbadi chastised Sifuna for making divisive remarks and urged him to respect the party's leadership.

“Between the Party Leader and the Secretary General, whose decision is final?” Mbadi questioned, affirming Raila Odinga’s ultimate authority within ODM.

Mbadi also revealed that Cabinet Secretaries who accepted positions in the Kenya Kwanza administration did so with Raila Odinga's full knowledge and approval, and after extensive consultations with President William Ruto.

“I’m glad he clarified those are his personal opinions,” Mbadi said, dismissing Sifuna’s recent remarks as unrepresentative of the party’s official stance.

The Treasury CS also stated that the current collaboration between ODM and the Kenya Kwanza government will continue until 2027, after which Odinga will determine the party's political trajectory.

Meanwhile, Sifuna has openly admitted that ODM is struggling with internal contradictions and a lack of ideological clarity, leaving both members and supporters unsure about the party's stance on critical national issues.

Speaking on Citizen TV's The Explainer show on Tuesday night, Sifuna, who also serves as Nairobi Senator, admitted that ODM no longer speaks with a single voice.

“Right now, there is a lot of confusion. I told my party leader that there was a time when it was easy to be the SG of ODM… You could wake me up at night and I would answer any question because we never compromised on values,” he said.

Sifuna admitted he now struggles to articulate ODM’s stance on fundamental matters such as constitutional rights, devolution, and freedoms under Article 37, blaming disjointed messaging and mixed political allegiances within the party.

He pointed to the presence of ODM leaders in government as a key source of disillusionment among supporters.

“You see a member of ODM who used to hold a premier position, now serving as Cabinet Secretary, and it leaves our supporters very confused,” he noted.

In a rare expression of regret, Sifuna apologized to ODM supporters for the leadership’s failure to maintain unity and clarity.

“I want to apologise to members of ODM for all the confusion we as a leadership have caused, because it is very difficult right now to discern the position of ODM on major issues. And that is the biggest sadness—because it should be easy,” he said.