The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) on Sunday, announced the passing of Lawrence Sifuna who served as a member for Bumula Constituency and later Bungoma South Constituency.
In a statement, ODM commiserated with the Party’s Secretary General Edwin Sifuna who is nephew to the late MP.
“Sifuna was a Life Member of the ODM party. He is a former MP for Bungoma South Constituency (presently Kanduyi) and also Bumula,” ODM stated.
The late Sifuna is remembered fondly as a member of the Left Wing Members of Parliament during former President Daniel Moi’s regime in the 1980s.
Together with six other liberal parliamentarians, they were referred to as the Seven Bearded Sisters by colleagues in the August House.
“I have a fairly famous Uncle. Even during the tough Nyayo era, he and 6 other MPs stood firm in defence of the people and what was right. Just 7 people with “beards” and a resolve,” Edwin Sifuna in the past explained how his uncle acquired the nickname.
The late Lawrence Sifuna was a fierce critic of the then Attorney General Charles Njonjo and other leaders in Moi’s administration whom he accused of violating the basic human rights of Kenyans.
Other members of the bearded sisters include; Koigi wa Wamwere, James Orengo, Abuya Abuya, Chibule wa Tsuma, Onyango Midika, Mwashengu wa Mwachofi and Philomena Chelang'at Mutai.
James Orengo, current Siaya Governor, is the only remaining member of the bearded sisters who is in active politics.
Lawrence Sifuna born in 1946 was first elected to parliament in 1979 to represent Bungoma South Constituency.
He served for two terms before losing his seat in 1988, during a period when the constituency was renamed to Kanduyi.
After five years in the political cold, he recaptured his seat in 1992 through a Ford Asili ticket.
The MP was succeeded in the 1997 general election by Wafula Wamunyinyi who was elected under the Ford Kenya ticket.
In 2017, Edwin Sifuna unsuccessfully tried unseating Wamunyinyi as Kanduyi MP. He would later go on to win the Nairobi Senatorial seat in the 2022 general election.
Despite retiring from politics in his sunset years, Lawrence Sifuna remained a prominent figure in Bungoma's political ecosystem.
