Sifuna ousted as Senate Deputy Minority Whip in fresh ODM power shake-up

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has been removed as the Senate Deputy Minority Whip in the latest political shake-up within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), further weakening the position of one of the party’s most outspoken leaders.

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi announced the changes in the House on Thursday, July 16, 2026, saying he had received the requisite minutes and signatures supporting Sifuna’s removal from the leadership position.

“The new office holder with immediate effect is Senator Eddy Gicheru Oketch,” Kingi told the House, confirming Migori Senator Eddy Oketch as the new Senate Deputy Minority Whip.

The office of the Deputy Minority Whip is responsible for assisting the Minority Whip in mobilising senators for House business, ensuring attendance during key votes and coordinating the minority coalition’s legislative agenda.

Sifuna’s removal comes amid ongoing political realignments within ODM, where he has increasingly found himself at odds with sections of the party leadership over its working relationship with President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration.

The Nairobi senator, who until recently also served as ODM Secretary-General, has been among the party’s most vocal critics of the rapprochement between ODM and the government, repeatedly calling for the party to remain firmly in the opposition.

His ouster from the Senate leadership comes barely a week after the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) formally recognised his removal as ODM Secretary-General.

In a letter signed by Registrar of Political Parties and Chief Executive Officer J.C. Lorionokou, the ORPP said it had reviewed documents submitted by ODM and found that the process complied with both the Political Parties Act and the party’s constitution.

“Upon review of the documents submitted by the party and the lack of response from Hon. Edwin Watenya Sifuna, we note that the removal of the party Secretary-General was in line with the Political Parties Act, Cap. 7D, and the ODM party constitution,” the Registrar stated.

However, Sifuna has challenged the decision through his legal team, arguing that the process leading to his removal violated both the law and ODM’s internal procedures.

The dispute over the Secretary-General position remains before the courts, setting the stage for a prolonged legal and political battle within the party.