Kisumu County Women Representative Ruth Odinga has defended Nairobi Senator and ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, after the latter faced backlash for his Tuesday night interview on Citizen TV.
During the interview, Sifuna questioned the management of resources in ODM campaigns and the slow implementation of the March 2025 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between President William Ruto and the late Raila Odinga.
Ruth Odinga described the attacks on Sifuna as unwarranted, arguing that he merely voiced concerns that many party members share privately.
“He questions the very things we have been questioning despite the online attacks by hired bloggers,” she said, highlighting the sensitivity surrounding ODM’s internal affairs.
In his interview, Sifuna revealed that ODM has not spent any of its own funds on recent campaigns, which have included helicopters, large tents, and party-branded apparel for the so-called ‘Linda Ground’ public events.
He suggested that governors, MPs using Constituency Development Funds, or undisclosed philanthropists may be financing these high-cost activities, raising questions about accountability and control.
Ruth Odinga expressed concern over the control exerted at party events, where members who deviate from the prescribed script face public censure.
She cited Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo, who was booed at a Kisumu gathering for speaking out of turn, as an example of how dissenting voices are marginalized.
The Kisumu legislator also addressed the MoU, which is set to expire in less than 30 days.
She questioned why it is considered controversial for Sifuna to publicly declare the agreement “dead,” pointing out that the responsibility for honoring the pact ultimately lies with President Ruto, not party committees.
On the financial side, Ruth Odinga noted that ODM is owed Sh12 billion by the government, a constitutional entitlement based on the party’s representation.
She argued that channeling campaign funds outside party accounts only reinforces external control and undermines transparency, limiting who participates in public meetings and what can be said.
Concluding her remarks, Ruth Odinga urged ODM members to focus on accountability rather than silencing internal critics.
“The last thing we should do, if we mean well for the Party, is to muffle the voices of people like Sifuna,” she said, emphasizing that open debate is key to the party’s credibility and survival.