CS Mbadi speaks on why ODM ejected Sifuna as Secretary General

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has defended the Orange Democratic Movement’s (ODM) decision to remove Edwin Sifuna as Secretary General, saying the former party official “spoke his mind” contrary to agreed party positions.

Speaking on Citizen TV’s JKLive show on Wednesday night, Mbadi said Sifuna’s removal was not about personal differences but about adherence to party resolutions.

“Sifuna is supposed to be the spokesperson of the party. When you are the spokesperson of a political party, you don’t speak your mind to the public contrary to what the party has resolved. What you speak is what the party has resolved. Your mind, you express in the meeting,” Mbadi said.

He added: “Once a decision has been taken at the Central Committee or the National Executive Committee, that decision binds. If you do not want to communicate that position, the best thing — the most honourable thing — to do is to quit that position.”

Mbadi who served as the party’s chairperson for more than 10 years, maintained that the party followed due process in effecting the changes, clarifying that Sifuna had not been removed but only recommended for removal.

“And to me, they have acted within the law, within the constitution of the party. The National Executive Committee has only recommended. Sifuna has been recommended for removal,” he said.

“Once you recommend, you put in place an acting official until the decision is ratified. First, it goes to the National Governing Council, then to the National Delegates Council.”

The CS who warned that the party may take a similar action to other members, including Siaya Governor James Orengo and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, argued that Sifuna’s political trajectory made his continued stay in the party untenable.

“The direction Sifuna had taken, any senior party official in this country, and history is full of examples, who has taken such a trajectory, has never remained in that political party,” Mbadi stated.

“So it was actually a waste of time expecting a miracle — to imagine that Sifuna would still remain in ODM.”

He added, “There are people who do not hold substantive positions in the party. If they do hold substantive positions and their sentiments or remarks are causing disharmony, then of course they should follow. But remember, Sifuna was not just any other member — he is the Secretary General of the party.”

ODM removed Sifuna from office on Wednesday following a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Mombasa on Wednesday.

The meeting, chaired by party leader Dr Oburu Oginga, resolved that Sifuna be relieved of his duties in line with the party constitution and applicable laws over what the committee termed as concerns about discipline within the party’s senior leadership.

ODM Deputy Secretary General and Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo will serve as acting Secretary General until a substantive office holder is elected.

The NEC also adopted resolutions earlier passed by the party’s Central Committee, including formally mandating Oburu to spearhead negotiations on ODM’s pre-election coalition arrangements with other political parties.

It further resolved to initiate the formal process of withdrawing from the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition, citing what it described as sustained breaches of the coalition’s Deed of Agreement by some partners.

According to the statement, the move is aimed at safeguarding ODM’s autonomy, integrity and strategic direction, signalling a broader restructuring within the party as it repositions itself ahead of future political negotiations and alliances.