Activist Boniface Mwangi has defended Edwin Sifuna, saying the ODM Secretary-General has remained principled amid turbulence within the Orange Democratic Movement following the death of its longtime leader Raila Odinga.
In a social media post, Mr Mwangi thanked Mr Sifuna for refusing to “bend the knee to a demagogue and dictator like Kasongo,” a term critics have used in reference to President William Ruto. He said Mr Sifuna had continued to defend the party from “hyenas and sellouts” despite mounting pressure.
Mr Odinga’s death after a short illness marked the end of an era in Kenya’s opposition politics. For more than two decades, he was the face of ODM and the country’s most formidable opposition figure, shaping national debate and rallying supporters across the country. His passing left a leadership vacuum that triggered jostling within the party.
In the days that followed, his elder brother Oburu Odinga stepped forward to steady the party as succession questions intensified. However, differing views soon emerged over the party’s direction, particularly on whether it should adopt a confrontational stance against the Kenya Kwanza administration or pursue engagement.
Some ODM leaders have been accused by critics of warming up to President Ruto’s camp, claims that have deepened mistrust among supporters who fear the party could lose its opposition identity.
It is against this backdrop that Mr Mwangi’s remarks have amplified the debate, casting Mr Sifuna as one of the leaders resisting external influence and internal compromise at a time when ODM is struggling to redefine itself without its founding leader.
