Even With ODM Support, Ruto Will Lose In 2027, Sifuna Reiterates

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has said that President William Ruto stands to lose 2027 elections, even with Raila Odinga’s support, citing incompetence and loss of public support.

Sifuna said Ruto has failed to manage the country’s internal and international affairs, making the grounds for re-election severely slim.

Appearing on Citizen TV Thursday morning, Sifuna argued Ruto’s administration has destroyed lives, weakened the economy, and allowed the killing of people.

Sifuna, who douples up as Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretarty General, said the party will not support Ruto’s administration, as suggested by some party members.

He criticized a section of ODM MPs who pledged support for Ruto following the African Union Commission (AUC) election.

“As ODM, I’m telling you, and I’ve said it on this show, my position is that even if ODM supports Ruto, Ruto will still lose. I have said it here, and I repeat it. So, I want to make it very clear that, as a party, we do not support either the internal affairs or the external affairs of this country as they are being run,” Sifuna said.

The Secretary General emphasized that ODM is a party of order and hierarchy, and the decision on whom to support lies with its leader, Raila Odinga.

Sifuna urged ODM members to remain steadfast and wait for Raila’s directive upon his return.

He dismissed speculations that Ruto’s support for Raila during the AUC chairmanship race would influence ODM’s political direction.

“Are you telling me that if William Ruto had driven off and left Raila behind, there would have been no vehicle to take him to the venue? Let’s be serious as a party,” Sifuna said while commenting on Ruto’s move to share a ride on his official car with Raila.

This statement comes as the ODM party navigates a turbulent political storm, with internal divisions deepening over whether to support President Ruto’s government.

The debate arose after President Ruto showed immense support for ODM’s party leader during the AUC campaigning period and the election itself.

However, Raila lost the AUC seat to Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf in a fiercely contested race. Youssouf secured the two-thirds threshold with 33 votes in the seventh round of voting.

Youssouf’s victory marks Kenya’s second unsuccessful attempt to secure the AUC chairmanship, following a similar defeat in 2017 when Moussa Faki of Chad defeated Kenya’s candidate, Amina Mohamed.

Raila conceded defeat in the race, expressing gratitude to his supporters and emphasizing the importance of respecting democratic processes in Africa.

“I had offered myself as a candidate. Over the last few months, I have traveled across the continent, engaging with different leaders and canvassing for their votes. Today, they have expressed their will,” Odinga said.

“As it is, we did not succeed. We must strengthen democracy on the African continent, and I am therefore conceding defeat. I want us to use this as an example of how to reinforce democratic values across Africa.”

Odinga congratulated Youssouf and wished him success in his new role.

“I want to wish my competitor, Ali Youssouf, all the best and success in his new role. I also want to thank all the member states who voted for me—and those who did not—because, in doing so, they exercised their democratic rights. This is how democracy should work,” he added.