Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party chairperson Gladys Wanga has accused Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna of double-speak regarding his recent criticism of the broad-based government arrangement between ODM and President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Speaking in Kisumu on Wednesday, February 25, during a meeting with grassroots delegates, Wanga detailed the origins of the broad-based government, claiming that Sifuna played a central role in its formation. According to Wanga, Sifuna, who was then serving as ODM’s secretary-general, personally typed the 10-point agenda that later formed the foundation of the power-sharing arrangement, following instructions from Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o.
“The 10-point agenda came at a time when the country was facing political instability,” Wanga said. “We can all remember the Gen Z demonstrations in June 2024. But Raila wanted stability in the country, and he donated experts to the government, which was the beginning of the broad-based government.”
Wanga recounted that on March 7, 2025, ODM leader Raila Odinga and President Ruto signed the 10-point agenda memorandum at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), formalizing the broad-based government. “It is Sifuna who read the agreement on behalf of the ODM party. But what many don’t know is that it was Sifuna who wrote the 10-point agenda,” she added. “Yet after the signing, he went on national television while Raila was still alive and said Ruto would not be re-elected in 2027.”
Turning to internal party matters, Wanga addressed Sifuna’s recent remarks questioning the legitimacy of Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga as ODM’s party leader. She explained that following Raila Odinga’s death, she convened a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to chart the party’s future. The meeting, attended by Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Saboti MP Caleb Amisi of the Linda Mwananchi faction, resolved that the party should have a leader. Oburu Odinga was proposed and seconded to serve in an acting capacity before being officially installed during ODM’s 20th anniversary celebrations in November 2025.
“Sifuna, as secretary-general, oversaw the swearing-in of Oburu as our party leader,” Wanga said. “But he still argues that Oburu is in office illegally. Why did he swear him in if he believed the process was unlawful?”
Wanga further accused Sifuna of inconsistency in his commitment to party decisions, alleging that he skipped a crucial meeting to discuss pre-election negotiations with other political parties. “When the party resolved to start formal talks with other parties, Sifuna was seen at the airport boarding a plane to Mombasa but later claimed his flight was delayed and missed the meeting,” she said.
The remarks by Wanga have intensified internal tensions within ODM, as the party continues to navigate leadership transitions and its evolving relationship with the ruling coalition.
