Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has clarified the status of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna following reports that he had been ousted from the powerful party position.
Speaking on Citizen TV’s JKL Live show hosted by Jeff Koinange on Tuesday night, Mbadi stated that Sifuna has not been removed, but has instead been recommended for removal by the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) in line with ODM’s internal procedures.
“Sifuna has not been removed. He has been recommended for removal by the NEC,” Mbadi said. “I am happy that at least the party organs are now acting; they have acted within the law and the constitution of the party.”
Mbadi, a former ODM chairman and current senior party figure, argued that Sifuna’s political conduct had placed him on a collision course with the party leadership, making his continued stay as Secretary General untenable.
“Any senior party official in this country who has taken the direction Sifuna had taken has never remained in that political party,” Mbadi said. “It was a waste of time expecting a miracle out of nothing to expect that Sifuna would still remain in ODM; he wouldn’t.”
The Treasury CS further emphasized the responsibilities that come with the role of Secretary General, describing the position as that of the party’s chief spokesperson who must faithfully communicate official party decisions.
“When you are the spokesperson of the party, you do not speak your mind to the public contrary to what the party has resolved,” Mbadi said. “If you don’t want to communicate the official position of the party, the most honorable thing to do is to quit.”
Sifuna, who is also the Nairobi Senator, has in recent months openly criticised decisions associated with the ODM leadership and its cooperation with the Kenya Kwanza administration, sparking internal dissent and debate within the party.
The final decision on Sifuna’s fate now rests with ODM’s broader decision-making organs, as the NEC recommendation undergoes the party’s constitutional processes.