Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has emerged as a central figure in Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) politics after drawing massive crowds to a rally in Kitengela on Sunday, a show of strength that has intensified debate over the party’s direction ahead of the 2027 elections.
Political commentator Kipkalya Kones now argues that internal miscalculations within ODM may have inadvertently elevated Sifuna’s standing.
According to his assessment, the party could have maintained internal stability until the official campaign period by preserving the status quo agreed upon during a Central Committee meeting held after party leader Raila Odinga’s consultations.
Kones notes that Sifuna himself read the resolution urging members to maintain unity and avoid premature succession battles.
He suggests that ODM only needed to affirm that Odinga had not endorsed President William Ruto for 2027 while quietly sustaining the broad-based political arrangement.
However, the commentator claims that pressure from key party figures, including Junet Mohamed and Gladys Wanga, disrupted that delicate balance.
He argues that attempts to push internal positioning accelerated tensions that might otherwise have remained contained.
According to Kones, the fallout has created two uncomfortable scenarios for ODM’s establishment.
First, grassroots supporters are increasingly comparing Sifuna with veteran figure Oburu Odinga in what he describes as a contest for the ideological soul of the party — a comparison he suggests could disadvantage the older leadership.
Second, he warns that the developments may reawaken politically active youth movements that surged in 2024 but later lost momentum due to lack of leadership.
With Sifuna now viewed by some as a rallying figure, Kones believes a new wave of youth-driven political activism could reshape opposition politics.
If sustained, Sifuna’s rising influence could reshape ODM’s internal hierarchy and revive youth-driven political momentum, setting the stage for heightened political contestation in the lead-up to 2027.