Sifuna opens up on Raila transition talks, says he offered Oburu chance to pick new SG

Speaking in an interview with Radio Maisha on Thursday, Sifuna said the dispute is rooted in the party’s constitution and internal rules, arguing that the leadership must operate within established structures.

Sifuna recalled a meeting at ODM headquarters, Chungwa House, where he said he confronted Oburu over public remarks calling for his removal.

He linked the tensions to a past “stormy” ODM meeting in Kakamega, saying he was initially the target of heckling but the plan “backfired”, and later Oburu publicly suggested he could be kicked out of the party.

Sifuna said he told Oburu that the relationship between the party leader and the secretary general is “intimate” and could not work if there were unresolved tensions.

He said Oburu assured him he had not organised the Kakamega incident, and called for them to work together through the transition period.

Sifuna added that he offered to hand in a resignation letter if Oburu still felt uncomfortable with him staying on as secretary general, saying his priority was the stability and progress of the party rather than holding office.

He said ODM remains one of Raila’s biggest political legacies and must outlive individual leaders, insisting that the party should be strengthened and remain perpetual.

Sifuna also insisted that ODM has not made a decision to support President William Ruto’s re-election, claiming that Raila had not directed the party to back Ruto in 2027.