Nairobi Senator and the Orange Democratic Movement Secretary General Edwin Sifuna is a man under siege after a section of Kisumu Youths allied to President William Ruto called for his removal.
The youths under the Kisumu 2TAM Youth Movement accused Sifuna of making sentiments contrary to the Party's agenda and the Memorandum of Understanding between the Raila Odinga-led party and the Kenya Kwanza government.
“If you are in government, stay there; if you want to join the opposition side, go be with Rigathi Gachagua, and if you are tired of being in ODM, leave,” one of the leaders said.
''You can leave the Secretary General position, we will find somebody else to fill it,'' another leader said.
The visibly angry leaders, drawn from Nyanza, accused Sifuna of launching attacks on specific ODM leaders, accusing him of being sidelined.
“Why does Edwin Sifuna always rush to mention Raila Odinga but conveniently ignore his brothers from Western?” the leaders continued.
The youths chanting Ruto and PS Raymond Omollos' names raised concerns over Sifuna's recent sentiments, terming them as divisive and selective.
“It is shameful that Sifuna finds comfort in undermining President William Ruto, the symbol of our national unity and democratic choice of the people,” the youths continued.
The leaders have accused the SG of joining those who criticise Ruto instead of protecting him and championing unity as agreed in the ODM-Kenya Kwanza agreement.
The leaders were speaking after the Senator's interview on Citizen TV, where he confessed that ODM was grappling with confusion and internal contradictions, making it difficult for both its members and the public to understand its stance on national issues.
During the interview, he laid bare internal frustrations and ideological contradictions, questioning whether ODM still speaks in one voice or stands for the values it once championed.
“Right now, there is a lot of confusion. I have told my party leader that there was a time when it was very easy to be the SG of ODM… You would wake me up in the middle of the night and ask me anything because we agreed that you can compromise on tactics, but you can never compromise on your values,” he said.
On his part, Sifuna said he was ready to resign, but only if the one who requested him to be SG approaches him and asks him to resign.
