The party's National Executive Council (NEC), meeting on Wednesday, February 11, delivered a decisive verdict against Sifuna, citing "rising levels of indiscipline within senior leadership" and a pattern of conduct inconsistent with collective decision-making.
"Having deliberated on matters relating to the conduct of Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, the NEC resolved to remove him from office effective immediately," read a statement from the party.
Sifuna, who had conspicuously absented himself from the critical NEC meeting alongside Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Otsotsi, had been on borrowed time for weeks. Party Leader Dr. Oburu Oginga had previously issued veiled warnings that action would be taken against leaders considered "rogue."
A Senator Unbowed
Yet even as news of his ouster spread, the Nairobi Senator remained characteristically defiant. In a social media post issued moments after the announcement, Sifuna confirmed that his controversial Linda Mwananchi tours would continue unabated — with the next stop scheduled for Kitengela on Sunday, February 15.
The grassroots initiative, which kicked off over the weekend in Busia County, represented one of Sifuna's most public acts of rebellion against party leadership. Sources indicate the tours were organized without official party sanction, further straining relations between the Senator and NEC.
Notably, several high-profile figures are expected to attend the Kitengela event, including Siaya Governor James Orengo, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, and Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka — suggesting factional lines within ODM remain deeply drawn.
Catherine Omayo Takes the Helm
In the immediate aftermath, Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omayo, previously serving as Deputy Secretary General, has assumed leadership of the Secretariat. Omayo will steer the party apparatus as ODM prepares for a National Delegates Convention scheduled for March 27, 2026.
The convention is expected to formalize what is already taking shape: an ODM repositioning itself without Sifuna — and potentially without Azimio.
The Azimio Exit Door Opens
Beyond the Sifuna dismissal, the NEC adopted resolutions mandating Dr. Oburu Oginga to lead coalition negotiations on behalf of the party. The move effectively initiates the formal process of withdrawing from the Azimio la Umoja One coalition, a vehicle that brought together Raila Odinga's ODM, Kalonzo Musyoka's Wiper, and other allied parties in the lead-up to 2022.
Political analysts interpret the dual actions as part of a calculated strategy by ODM's inner circle to restore internal discipline while securing maximum bargaining power ahead of 2027.
"The ouster of Sifuna is not merely about discipline — it is about control," said a political commentator familiar with internal party dynamics. "And the Azimio exit signals that ODM is unwilling to play junior partner in someone else's coalition. They want to set the terms."
What Next for Sifuna?
The Nairobi Senator's political future now hangs in a delicate balance. While removed from the Secretary General position, Sifuna retains his Senate seat and maintains a vocal urban following. His insistence on continuing the Linda Mwananchi tours suggests he is framing his ouster not as a fall from grace, but as a liberation from party orthodoxy.
Whether this positions him as a reformist martyr — or simply an outlier in a party reasserting its institutional authority — may well determine the next phase of ODM's internal war.
For now, the party has drawn its lines. Sifuna has crossed his. And Kenya Kwanza, watching from the government side, may find itself the unexpected beneficiary of ODM's season of turbulence.
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