Speaking at a press conference alongside Sifuna, Nairobi MP Babu Owino, and Winnie Odinga, Orengo insisted that the party’s turmoil is externally instigated.
“The problem in ODM is President Ruto. We are asking Ruto to let ODM go. Let ODM alone. He has not taken it hostage; he is in possession of the ODM party.
He is convening meetings of ODM organs. Leave ODM alone,” Orengo said, drawing a clear line between ODM’s leadership and perceived external pressures.
Orengo went on to challenge the legitimacy of Sifuna’s removal by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), asserting that the Nairobi Senator remains the official Secretary General of Raila Odinga’s party.
“The Secretary General of Raila Odinga’s ODM Party is Edwin Sifuna,” he emphasized.
He also defended Sifuna’s record in office, noting that the party leader has never publicly criticized him.
“During the entire life of Raila Odinga and during the period in which Edwin Sifuna was the secretary general, there is no single moment that Raila criticized Edwin Sifuna in public,” Orengo stated, framing the senator as a loyal and competent party official.
Orengo expressed disbelief at the audacity of what he described as “mere minions” who, in his view, lack legitimacy yet are attempting to challenge Sifuna.
“I shudder to think that mere minions… people who have no legitimacy in the entire country can dare talk about Edwin Sifuna. Sifuna speaks for the party,” he remarked, reinforcing the notion that Sifuna represents the party’s official voice.
The press conference comes a day after the ODM NEC announced Sifuna’s removal, a move that has sparked heated debates within the party.
Orengo’s intervention appears aimed at consolidating support for Sifuna while warning against what he perceives as external meddling in ODM affairs.
The governor’s comments also reflect the broader tensions between ODM and the government, with opposition leaders frequently accusing President Ruto of attempting to influence internal party dynamics ahead of the 2027 elections.
With senior party figures publicly backing Sifuna, the unfolding dispute is likely to dominate ODM’s political conversations in the coming weeks.