‘Uhuru is destroying ODM!’ Junet, Wanga claim amid Sifuna ouster fiasco

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leaders have accused former President Uhuru Kenyatta of meddling in the party’s affairs, escalating the fallout following the removal of Edwin Sifuna as Secretary General.

National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga fingered Kenyatta for allegedly interfering in ODM affairs, saying he is to blame for the turmoil rocking the party following the death of its longtime party boss Raila Odinga in October last year.

Speaking during the ODM Linda Ground event in Lamu on Thursday, Junet told off the Jubilee party leader, asking him to focus on his party and retirement and stay away from ODM matters.

“The problem we have in our party is not the broad-based government or William Ruto; the problem we have is former President Uhuru Kenyatta. The one destroying the party is not Ruto or the broad-based arrangement but Uhuru,” Junet said.

“Please, leave our party alone. You have Jubilee, you have refused to retire, you have remained party leader, you have your project called Fred Matiang’i, so please focus on your work and let us run ODM affairs.”

Junet went on to assert that ODM sought Kenyatta’s support in the 2022 General Election but did not succeed in securing victory for party leader Raila, and thus they did not need him to align for the 2027 election.

He further alleged that although the former Head of State appears withdrawn from active politics, he is still influencing opposition leaders behind the scenes.

“We asked him to help us win in 2022 so that Raila becomes president but he failed to make Baba president, so he should now give us peace,” he said.

“He pretends to have retired, but on the ground, he is sending people. All these opposition leaders — he is their leader. He wants us to unite and remove Ruto from office, but we cannot take that route. We cannot unite with someone who has retired."

Governor Wanga, who is the ODM National Chairperson, defended the National Executive Committee (NEC) decision to kick out Sifuna, insisting it was constitutional and properly constituted.

She also reiterated Junet's remarks, telling Uhuru to quit meddling in ODM affairs.

“I can speak my mind because ODM is a democratic party but I cannot go against the decisions of the party organs as a senior official. I have seen people say that NEC was illegal and it has made illegal decisions,” Wanga said.

“The NEC of yesterday had 34 out of 40 members and so it was constituted. Indiscipline cannot be mistaken for democracy.”

Wanga further condemned remarks she described as disrespectful to Odinga. She said, “For someone to say Baba was bought is a very big insult and we cannot accept that. We know Uhuru Kenyatta would prefer ODM not to work with this side and instead join forces with the Wamunyoro group,” she said, referring to political realignments linked to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir also weighed in, accusing a section of leaders of aligning with Gachagua’s camp.

“They decided to join Gachagua’s team. They had already formed their party long ago; their intention was to destabilise ODM and then leave, but we destabilised them first,” he said.

The remarks come a day after ODM’s NEC meeting in Mombasa resolved to remove Sifuna from office, citing concerns over discipline within the party’s senior leadership.