Nairobi — Orange Democratic Movement Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna has questioned the process through which Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga was installed as the party's interim leader, saying the decision did not follow the provisions of the party constitution.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV, Sifuna said he was not present at the meeting where the decision was made, explaining that he was away on party duties involving ODM leader Raila Odinga.
"I was not in that meeting because I was going to fetch my party leader to bring Baba back home. I don't think anybody considers me important enough to be waited upon, and they have their reasons why they did it in the manner they did," Sifuna said.
He argued that the installation of Oburu Odinga,who is the late Odinga elder brother, was procedurally flawed and departed from established party rules.
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"The installation of Oburu Oginga as interim party leader was not procedural in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution," he said.
Sifuna maintained that there were clear constitutional options that could have been pursued to ensure continuity while safeguarding internal democracy within the party.
"What I would have advised had I been in that meeting is to allow one of the deputies to act for one month, and in three months' time, call for a special National Delegates Convention and do it procedurally and properly," he noted.
His remarks come amid heightened internal debate within ODM following recent leadership changes that have exposed underlying tensions over decision-making and adherence to party rules.
At the same time,Sifuna brushed off his removal from the party's top office, insisting that his exit from the secretariat does not amount to expulsion from the party.
The Nairobi Senator said his membership in ODM remains intact despite the leadership changes that saw him replaced, adding that holding an official position is not a prerequisite for belonging to the party.
"I am in ODM, and nobody can kick me out of ODM. I have no intention of leaving. You don't have to be an official to be a member of the party," Sifuna said.
This comes amid growing debate within ODM following internal restructuring that removed him from the influential Secretary-General role, a move that has fuelled speculation about rifts within the party's top leadership.
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Sifuna, who has been one of ODM's most vocal and visible figures, has previously taken public positions that at times diverged from the party's official line, particularly on cooperation with President William Ruto's administration. Those positions have drawn sharp reactions from sections of the party, with critics accusing him of undermining collective decisions.
However, during the interview, Sifuna appeared unfazed by potential loss of his position, framing it as a normal political development rather than exit from the party.
