Nairobi Senator and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has addressed concerns over his absence during President William Ruto’s recent development tours in Nairobi. Speaking on Saturday in Machakos during the burial of Colonel (Rtd) James Gitahi, Sifuna dismissed claims that he deliberately avoided the events, clarifying that his presence was not mandated by the agreement between ODM and Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
The MoU between ODM and UDA was signed by Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on March 7. According to Sifuna, the agreement did not include any requirement for him to accompany the President on his visits across Nairobi.
“Recently, when we were signing those documents, I knew there would be individuals misinterpreting the agreement. Some of these include our friends from the media,” Sifuna stated.
He refuted claims suggesting that his absence indicated a lack of commitment to the agreement, emphasizing that his role as a senator is distinct from the President’s activities. “I wake up one day and see a headline that I have stayed away from Ruto’s Nairobi meetings. There is nowhere in the agreement that says the ODM SG must accompany the President for his meetings,” he clarified.
Sifuna further pointed out that even when Raila Odinga attended a recent burial in Kiambu, UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala was not required to be present. “Even the President himself understands this. I heard him telling Nairobi leaders that everyone should focus on their respective duties. I will not be voted in based on the number of meetings I have attended with the President. My work is in the Senate; he should do his, and in 2027, people will decide.”
The remarks were made during the burial of Colonel (Rtd) James Gitahi, husband to ODM-nominated Senator Betty Batuli Montet. Gitahi tragically passed away on March 7 in a grisly accident at Kyumvi Junction on Mombasa Highway. His vehicle collided head-on with an oncoming lorry, bursting into flames and resulting in his instant death. The retired military pilot was alone in his saloon car at the time of the accident.
Sifuna’s comments highlight the growing conversation around the roles and responsibilities of political leaders in Kenya, especially in the wake of the ODM-UDA agreement.
