Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) secretary general Francis Atwoli now wants ODM leader Raila Odinga to crack the whip on wayward party members.
Atwoli particularly called for action against ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, whom he accused of openly defying his boss regarding the support for the broad-based government.
Atwoli wondered why Sifuna was being spared, yet he was not toeing the line of the party.
"I want to tell my in-law, Raila Odinga, to tell Sifuna to leave if he is tired of ODM. He should stop defying Raila and his party when he is still inside. He should not purport to speak for the Luhya community. We had Martine Shikuku, who ran KANU so well as the secretary general. We want such leaders. We don't want restless leaders who pretend to know it all while in the real sense they don't," Atwoli said.
This comes days after Sifuna's harsh criticism of President William Ruto’s administration.
Sifuna Calls Out Kenya-Kwanza.
Sifuna has found himself on the receiving end, after he insisted that nothing can prevent the party from removing President William Ruto from office.
The Nairobi Senator declared the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) “dead", accusing the Kenya Kwanza administration of failing to uphold the MOU’s original intent and turning the agreement into a political public relations tool.
Speaking during an interview on Tuesday Night, Sifuna distanced himself from the ongoing cooperation, stating that the pact no longer holds and should be considered defunct.
“I have asked respectfully that I be left out of that team because I have already declared this MoU dead. I have already done so publicly. So there is no point. I’m not a mortician. There is no point in me going to go through a document that I’ve already declared dead,” he said.
He explained that the MOU was intended to achieve two key objectives: ending violence against ODM supporters and safeguarding Kenya’s democratic principles. However, he noted that ODM supporters continue to face police brutality, undermining the very purpose of the agreement.
Sifuna said President Ruto is benefiting from the agreement, as the democratic state is being maintained—at least until 2027—but ODM supporters are not.
Sifuna noted that ODM’s democratic stance is anchored on the belief that leadership can be changed through elections or other democratic means, but warned that under the current regime, many Kenyans risk losing their lives before the next general election in 2027.
“If this regime killed over 40 people on Saba Saba, and with 800 days to go to the election, 40 multiplied by 800 is 32,000. That’s 32,000 people who may die before 2027 under the guns of this regime. Those people will not get an opportunity to kick William Ruto out,” Sifuna said.
He criticised the government’s handling of protests, slamming President Ruto for authorising police brutality against demonstrators.
“When you have a head of state telling the Kenyan police, who have a history of violence, that they are allowed to shoot people, and his allies like Nelson Koech saying, in fact, don’t shoot in the legs, shoot to kill, those instructions trickle down to junior officers. If we don’t find another way, we will lose more lives before 2027,” he said.
Raila Speaks.
ODM Leader Raila Odinga however defended Sifuna against harsh criticism within the party, stating that every party member has the right to express their opinion.
Speaking in Kakamega on Friday, July 25, Raila urged party members to engage in open dialogue rather than suppress differing views.
Raila clarified that ODM does not muzzle voices within the party even when it involves challenging his own decisions.
“If Sifuna has spoken, he has every right to do so. If you disagree with him, say your piece too,” Raila said, dismissing calls to silence dissenting voices within the party.
“I have never told anyone in ODM how they should speak. Even if someone says Baba is old and should go back to Bondo, I have no problem with that; it is the people who will decide,”.
Raila reiterated that while members are free to express themselves in public, the party’s official stance is determined through internal consultation. “Sifuna’s comments, like any other member’s, will be discussed in our party organs. That is where we respond and build consensus,” he added.
He assured supporters that the ODM–UDA deal, which has attracted growing scrutiny, would undergo a comprehensive review.
“We’ll sit down, assess what has been implemented, and agree on the way forward together,” he said.
Raila maintained that ODM would continue to use its structures to address disagreements and shape its political direction as a united front.
