- Edwin Sifuna is under pressure to quit as ODM Secretary General.
- Party history shows the SG role often ends in internal conflict.
- Some leaders accuse Sifuna of divided focus and personal ambition.
- Tensions reflect a wider struggle between old and new party factions.
- An upcoming ODM NEC meeting could decide his political fate.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna is facing growing calls to step down from his role as Secretary General of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
The pressure has revived debate around a long-standing trend within the party, where the SG position has repeatedly sparked internal battles and leadership rifts.
Over the years, the ODM Secretary General’s office has proved difficult to hold.
Several past office holders, including Anyang’ Nyong’o, Ababu Namwamba, and Agnes Zani, exited the position amid resistance, disagreements, or open fallout with party leadership.
This history has fueled claims that the post is politically “cursed” within ODM.
Sources within the party indicate that a section of ODM leaders, mainly from the Nyanza region, are calling for Sifuna’s removal.
They argue that serving as both a vocal Senator and the party’s top administrator creates tension, especially at a time when ODM is navigating complex opposition politics.
With party leader Raila Odinga increasingly engaged in continental duties, cracks have emerged between long-serving loyalists and younger leaders.
Critics say Sifuna is focusing more on building his national profile ahead of a possible Nairobi governor bid in 2027, instead of strengthening party structures on the ground.
Sifuna’s leadership style has also come under scrutiny.
Some party insiders accuse him of acting independently and challenging internal consensus, a charge similar to those once levelled against former SG Ababu Namwamba.
These differences are said to centre on ODM’s long-term strategy for the next general election.
Despite the growing noise, Sifuna has brushed off demands for his resignation.
He has described his critics as political distractors with no real influence on party decisions.
The debate is expected to intensify as ODM’s National Executive Committee prepares to meet to discuss key electoral reforms.
That meeting could determine whether Sifuna survives the storm or becomes the latest casualty of ODM’s troubled Secretary General seat.
