'I kept my promise not to wreck ODM’: Sifuna recalls final pledge to Raila at his burial

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna says he made every effort to keep the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) united following the death of its former leader Raila Odinga, insisting that he honoured his promise not to wreck the party.

Sifuna, who served as ODM Secretary General for nine years, said the party had undergone significant changes since Raila’s death, leaving some members unable to find political expression within the party on whose ticket they were elected.

Sifuna said he had kept his promise to Raila during his burial, maintaining that he had tried to prevent divisions within the party despite being at the centre of some of the controversy surrounding its leadership, leading to his ultimate ouster.

“I want Baba, wherever he is, to know that I actually kept my promise during his burial not to be the one to wreck his party. I have been at the centre of some of the controversy, but I personally believe that I tried my best to keep the party united, just as I said in Bondo,” he said.

The Linda Mwananchi movement co-principal said several attempts had been made to reconcile ODM party leaders, including mediation sessions involving trustees and meetings held at their homes.

Reflecting on his efforts to resolve the dispute, Sifuna maintained that he had sought to bring the party leadership together but claimed that key decisions affecting ODM were being made outside the party structures before being communicated to its members.

“It has changed quite dramatically since the last time we had Mzee around. It has been a very difficult period for many, many people…from his family to his supporters, his party and all those who knew him," he said.

“For me, I really do hope that, wherever Baba is, he sees that I personally made an effort to bring the party leadership together. But it was clear to us that decisions concerning ODM were being made elsewhere, and we were simply being told to implement them.”

He recalled that Raila’s widow, Ida Odinga, had appealed to the party leadership to sit down and resolve their differences during a visit to her home on the late former Prime Minister’s birthday.

“We have had so many interventions. I remember at some point when we visited Mama during Baba's birthday, and she implored the party leadership to sit down. We had many, many sessions and very many mediation efforts to try to intervene,” Sifuna said.

He thanked the party trustees who participated in the mediation efforts, saying the discussions had initially appeared to make progress before decisions contrary to the resolutions reached at the meetings were made.

“We thought we were making progress, but then you would wake up in the morning and find that decisions contrary to the resolutions of the meetings we had were being made,” he said.

Sifuna further accused the party of unlawfully removing him from the Secretary General position in February, saying he challenged the decision before the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT).

According to Sifuna, the tribunal found that ODM had erred in removing him from office and directed the parties to follow the party constitution.

He said he subsequently wrote to the party seeking arbitration, but the request was rejected.

“I wrote a letter pursuant to the ODM Constitution requesting arbitration. The arbitration was rejected. Instead, they decided to set up what I essentially believe was a kangaroo court to try me,” Sifuna said.

He argued that the party should have referred his case to its standing disciplinary committee instead of establishing a separate body that heard the matter in his absence.

“The ODM Constitution provides for a standing disciplinary committee chaired by Hon. Rama Abubakar. So, the expectation was that they would follow the Constitution and subject me to a disciplinary process. But they set up this separate body, which then tried my case in my absence,” he said.

Sifuna added that he had unsuccessfully sought the tribunal’s intervention over the disciplinary process, saying the party had not explained why his case was not referred to its standing disciplinary committee.