Orange Democratic Movement party leader Oburu Odinga has publicly stated that his late brother, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, did not like ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna — a candid revelation that has stirred fresh debate within Kenya’s opposition ranks and cast new light on the internal dynamics of a party still coming to terms with the loss of its founding icon.
Oburu, who assumed leadership of ODM following Raila death in 2025, did not elaborate on the exact nature of the friction. However, the disclosure alone has been enough to rattle party faithful and energise political observers who have long speculated about fault lines within the movement that Raila spent decades building.
Beyond the Sifuna revelation, Oburu levelled sharp criticism at Nominated Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi and Siaya Governor James Orengo, accusing both of practicing what he described as politics of poverty, a style of political engagement that thrives on rhetoric and grievance but leaves constituents without any meaningful development to show for it.
Raila dislike for Sifuna: reading between the lines
Raila Odinga died on 15 October 2025, aged 80, following a cardiac arrest at Devamatha Hospital in Koothattukulam, India. Before his death, ODM had functioned as one of Kenya’s most disciplined and recognisable opposition outfits, with Raila towering personality serving as its compass.
Sifuna was appointed Secretary General of ODM on 23 February 2018 by the party National Executive Council, stepping into a vacancy created when former Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba resigned from the position in 2016. He has held the role since then and is widely regarded as the substantive Secretary General of the party.
Raila did not like Sifuna. That is something I can tell you plainly.
Whether the alleged reservations Raila held about Sifuna were ideological, personal or strategic remains unclear. What is clear, however, is that Oburu decision to speak on the matter publicly, now that he holds the reins of the party, signals that the post-Raila ODM may be heading toward a significant internal reckoning.
Political analysts note that the timing of such a disclosure matters. With Oburu still consolidating his authority over a party accustomed to one man’s dominance, raising questions about the loyalty and compatibility of key officials like Sifuna could be a calibrated move to reshape the party leadership structure, or simply the candid words of a grieving elder statesman no longer bound by the diplomatic silences of intra-party politics.
Sudi and Orengo accused of misleading Gen Z
Oburu reserved equally pointed words for Oscar Sudi and Siaya Governor James Orengo, accusing both men of fuelling a brand of politics that has no development track record to anchor it. He singled out their role in what he characterised as the deliberate misleading of Generation Z Kenyans, the young, digitally active citizens who took to the streets in mass protests, into demonstrations that served political interests rather than genuine civic causes.
Orengo, a veteran constitutional lawyer and one of Kenya’s most prominent legal minds, has increasingly leaned into opposition rhetoric during his tenure as Siaya Governor. Critics, including Oburu, argue that his governance record does not match the intellectual and legal authority he commands at a national level.
Sudi, known for his combative and outspoken style in parliament, has been a regular fixture in Kenya political controversies. Oburu remarks suggest he views Sudi brand of politics as equally hollow, high on noise and low on results.
ODM charts its course without Raila
Before Raila death, ODM had functioned well as a structured and active opposition force. His passing created an institutional vacuum that even experienced political machines would find difficult to fill. Oburu now leads a party in transition, one mourning its founder while simultaneously trying to reinvent itself for a new political era in Kenya.
His willingness to speak openly about tensions that existed even during Raila lifetime, including the alleged unease with Sifuna, suggests a leadership style that prizes transparency over the carefully managed silences that often define party politics. Whether that approach consolidates or fractures ODM support base will become clearer in the weeks ahead.
For now, the party rank and file are watching closely. Whether Sifuna retains his position, whether the party closes ranks or splinters, and how Oburu navigates the competing loyalties within ODM will define whether Kenya largest opposition movement emerges from this period of transition stronger or diminished.
