Raila Odinga Junior and Winnie Odinga have publicly reacted following the dramatic removal of Edwin Sifuna from his position as the ODM Secretary General, signaling unease and possible internal tensions within the party.
In a post shared on Wednesday, February 11, Raila Junior appeared to send a coded message shortly after the party’s decision was announced. Without mentioning Sifuna directly, he wrote on his X account that, “The finest steel must go through the hottest fire,” a statement widely interpreted as encouragement in the face of political adversity.
Winnie Odinga, who serves as an EALA MP, also weighed in and openly expressed dissatisfaction with the move. Posting on her Facebook page, she briefly stated, “It is not well,” suggesting she was unhappy with how the situation was handled.
Sifuna was removed from office on Wednesday evening after a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Mombasa. The session was chaired by ODM party leader Oburu Oginga. Following the resolution, the party appointed Deputy Secretary General Catherine Omanyo to take over the role in an acting capacity until a substantive office holder is elected.
According to the party’s official statement, the NEC resolved to relieve Sifuna of his responsibilities with immediate effect and transition leadership to Omanyo on an interim basis.
His ouster followed recent public remarks in which Sifuna criticized aspects of party operations, including the selection of Oburu Oginga as party leader. Oburu dismissed the criticism, saying Sifuna had confused personal views with official party policy.
Meanwhile, Sifuna has announced that he will address the media with a full statement following his removal.