Nairobi — Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna has brushed off his imminent removal from the party's top office, insisting that his exit from the party leadership does not amount to expulsion from the party.
Speaking during a Citizen TV interview, Sifuna said his membership in ODM remains intact despite the leadership changes that might see 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.
His remarks come 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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"It is okay. There is nowhere written that Sifuna can be the only one who is SG. I have said that I have predecessors, people who have done this job; I have young people in ODM who, I know for a fact, if they are given the opportunity, they can do this job even better than Sifuna or all the other SGs that have served before,"he said.
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 the potential loss of his position, framing it as a normal political development rather than an exit from the party.
Sifuna revealed that the ongoing consultative forums dubbed Linda Ground are not funded from the party's account.
The initiative, which being spearheaded by Acting Party Leader Oburu Oginga and Chairperson Gladys Wanga, was launched last month at Kamukunji Grounds in Kibra Constituency, to gather views from ODM delegates countrywide on whether the 20-year-old party should enter into pre-coalition talks with the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Sifuna, who is among the official signatories to the party's bank account, confirmed has not signed off on any monies to be used for such functions.
"'I can state authoritatively here that the money and the resources you see being spent in those ODM rallies, the so-called Linda Ground forums, are not coming from ODM headquarters," Sifuna stated.
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He went ahead to state that the last funds released from the party's accounts were used during the ODM 20th-anniversary celebrations at the coast.
The Oburu - Wanga faction of ODM has so far held Linda Ground forums in Kakamega, Busia, Kisii and Nyamira counties.
The ODM Deputy Party Leader Geodfrey Ososti, over the weekend claimed that he was not informed when the meetings were held in Western Kenya and was never involved, despite his senior position in the party.
He questioned whether his omission was deliberate coming days after Wanga told a public rally that they had lined up a party officials to present at yet to be scheduled National Delegates Conference. She however did not mention Sifuna and Ososti.
