Cherargei: ODM to Remove Sifuna as Secretary General and Minority Whip

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has said that Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna will be removed from his positions as Senate Deputy Minority Whip and Secretary General of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

Cherargei made the claim in a post on X on 5 January, accusing Sifuna of political duplicity and saying he could no longer be trusted. He did not provide evidence to support the allegation. He linked his remarks to Sifuna’s support for the 2024 impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, which he described as proof of what he called deceptive conduct. 

Cherargei asserted that ODM would remove Sifuna from its top administrative office, while senators would move separately to strip him of his leadership role in the Senate. ODM rejected the claim. The party’s Communications Director, Philip Etale, said there was no plan to remove Sifuna from any position. 

He said Cherargei’s remarks did not reflect the party’s position, amid signs of growing strain between official party statements and comments by individual politicians. Sifuna has faced criticism from some ODM members over his opposition to the Broad-Based Government arrangement. 

He has argued that the framework weakens the party’s future prospects, a position that has placed him at odds with colleagues who support cooperation as a practical political strategy. Pressure has also come from within the party’s youth wing. ODM Youth League leader Kasmuel McOure questioned Sifuna’s suitability as Secretary General, saying his exit would not damage the party. 

McOure said Sifuna should focus on representing Nairobi residents instead of, in his words, undermining fellow ODM members. The dispute has intensified following Sifuna’s public criticism of Suna East MP Junet Mohamed. 

Speaking in Murang’a on 3 January, Sifuna accused Junet of mishandling campaign funds allegedly provided by former President Uhuru Kenyatta during the 2022 general election. He claimed the party lacked resources on the ground while the funds were diverted elsewhere.

Junet denied the accusation, saying Sifuna was acting on behalf of Kenyatta within ODM. He said the funds were handled through Kenyatta’s brother, Muhoho Kenyatta, shifting the focus to unresolved questions about campaign financing during the 2022 elections.