Sifuna Speaks Loud, Stays Silent on Senators’ Millions

The Karen Absence That Echoed

ODM governors and MPs attended the Karen meeting, eager to signal loyalty and align themselves with Raila’s evolving agenda. Many spoke of "supporting the broad-based government" and "building national unity." Yet the absence of ODM’s secretary general, the party’s chief organizer and voice, was a shadow that loomed larger than the speeches.

Unlike many political absences explained away by "scheduling conflicts," this one had no easy excuse. Sifuna had no competing parliamentary business. No funerals to attend. No international travel. His absence was deliberate and, therefore, deeply political.

To those who have followed Sifuna’s career, he has built a reputation as both a loyal ODM soldier and an independent-minded lawyer who does not shy away from calling out inconsistencies even within his party. If others are content to sing in chorus, Sifuna has often chosen to hold back his voice until the moment it matters most.

Raila, Ruto, and the New Boardroom Politics

The Karen meeting was supposed to mark a milestone. For months, whispers of Raila and Ruto’s alignment have unsettled ODM supporters. The Azimio-Kenya Kwanza rivalry, once fierce, has softened into the language of "dialogue," "inclusivity," and "national interest."

For Ruto, who thrives in political deal-making, Raila’s presence at Karen was a prize in itself—a chance to reinforce legitimacy and weaken opposition. For Raila, fresh from continental recognition at the AU, the Karen stage was a platform to demonstrate his continued relevance in Kenyan politics, even as questions about succession swirl within ODM.

But for many ODM faithful, the choreography felt awkward. Why were Raila’s generals expected to line up behind a handshake-style arrangement without debate, without consultation, and without acknowledging the frustrations of a disillusioned support base still nursing the wounds of 2022?

It is here that Sifuna’s absence acquires symbolic weight. To not show up was to resist being part of a performance whose script he had not approved.

Robert Alai’s remarks

• Alai is framing Sifuna’s current fire against Governor Sakaja as hypocritical, since in his view, senators have also been recipients of questionable money.

• He’s reminding Kenyans that the institution of the Senate has not been clean itself, especially in past impeachments.

Sifuna, Babu Owino, and the ODM Youth Factor

Equally significant was the joint absence of Babu Owino, another loud ODM voice. Together with Sifuna, the two represent the younger, more assertive generation of ODM leaders, a generation not entirely comfortable with endless handshakes and realignments.

For years, ODM has thrived on fiery opposition politics, mobilizing millions through passion, resistance, and the promise of change. But in recent months, the fire seems to have faded. It has been replaced by careful talk of "dialogue." For Sifuna and Babu, this change may push away the very energy that has kept ODM going for nearly twenty years.

The Broader Message: Politics of Presence vs. Politics of Principle

There is now a clash between two logics of politics.

1. Presence: showing up, smiling for the cameras, shaking hands, and signaling loyalty. 
2. Principle: stepping back, refusing to act, and insisting on clarity before coming together.

Kenya’s political history is filled with handshake agreements, boardroom deals, and coalitions formed out of convenience. But rarely have those deals trickled down to address the pressing realities of ordinary Kenyans: soaring fuel prices, joblessness, failing healthcare, and corruption.

Sifuna’s absence, uncomfortable as it was for ODM’s optics, forces the country to pause and ask: What exactly is being negotiated in Karen? And who benefits?

ODM’s embrace of Ruto’s broad-based government without internal consensus risks fracturing its base. Loyal supporters—especially in Nairobi and Western Kenya—may not easily stomach an alliance with the same regime they opposed in the streets, more so now that MPs, including ODM legislators, have overwhelmingly voted to shield themselves from prosecution for actions done “in good faith.”

At the same time, Raila’s move is not without logic. After decades in opposition, his eyes are on legacy, continental leadership, and political stability. Yet that very pursuit of stability may create instability within ODM if leaders like Sifuna and Babu are sidelined.