Edwin Sifuna, the Secretary General of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), expressed his astonishment on Thursday regarding President William Ruto’s decision to nominate several prominent ODM members to his Cabinet.
“ODM has not joined the government,” Sifuna declared emphatically. “As the Secretary General of ODM, I sit in all organs of the party and as SG of ODM, I am the spokesperson of all those organs of the party.”
Limited Party Discussions Post-KICC Meeting
Sifuna revealed that the ODM Central Committee had convened only once since the July 9 meeting at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC). At this significant event, ODM leader Raila Odinga had expressed a willingness to engage in dialogue with President Ruto’s administration.
“Ever since the meeting at KICC, I think there has been a deliberate effort to misrepresent the position of the party, especially in the print media,” Sifuna remarked, shifting some blame to media coverage of recent events.
The Nairobi Senator emphasized that during the sole party meeting following the KICC event, there was no agreement or discussion about ODM seeking ministerial positions.
Railad had previously made 6 demands to the government, which had to be met before National Dialogue.
Confusion and Miscommunication
Sifuna highlighted the apparent disconnect between the party’s official stance and recent developments:
“There has been a lot of speculation over what happened yesterday but the truth of the matter is that there is no decision of any organ of ODM that I sit in to join the Ruto government.”
He further added,
“I have been very clear in communication as SG of ODM. After KICC, he [Raila Odinga] came and convened a central committee of the party because that is what he always does if we do not have an opportunity to meet before an event.”
Media Scrutiny and Party Positions
Addressing accusations of unclear communication, Sifuna defended his role:
“The last conversation I heard about the dialogue was that Raila wanted a national conversation and it was wrong for the media to accuse him of not communicating clearly as the ODM Secretary General.”
Notable Appointments and Sifuna’s Position
Despite Sifuna’s insistence that ODM has not officially joined the government, it’s worth noting that several high-ranking party officials have been nominated to Cabinet positions. These include:
1. John Mbadi (Chairman)
2. Ali Hassan Joho (Deputy Party Leader)
3. Wycliffe Oparanya (Deputy Party Leader)
4. Opiyo Wandayi (National Assembly Minority Leader and Director of Political Affairs)
