Sifuna Says ‘Linda Ground’ Rally Funds Not Coming From ODM HQ As Osotsi Clams Party Being Run From State House

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has questioned the source of what he described as massive resources used by his party in the Linda Ground rallies across the country.

Sifuna said that, as a signatory to the party’s bank account alongside National Treasurer Timothy Bosire, they have not signed off on any withdrawal to facilitate the rallies.

The ODM official, who is also Nairobi Senator, told Citizen TV in an interview on Tuesday night that the party’s last spending was on its 20th Anniversary fete in Mombasa in November last year.

“The money you see being spent in ODM rallies is not coming from ODM headquarters; there is parallel funding for activities clothed in ODM colours,” he said, rejecting reports that his party was funding the events.

Sifuna added, “Forget this rubbish you hear people saying here. Timothy Bosire, the Treasurer, is also a signatory to the bank accounts, and the last money we expended as ODM officially was for the celebrations in Mombasa, and it was a fraction of what we saw there.”

When asked if he knew the source of the funds, the SG said, “You will ask them. I can only account for monies that I am a signatory to.”

The first Linda Ground rally was launched in Kamkunji, Kibra Constituency, last month and was attended by Interim Party Leader Oburu Oginga, party chairperson Gladys Wanga, among other party leaders.

The ODM team has also since held similar rallies in Kakamega, Busia, Kisumu and Kisii counties, where speakers have been pushing for planned pre-election coalition talks with President William Ruto’s UDA.

Sifuna’s comments came two days after ODM deputy party leader and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi was quoted in the media claiming that ODM is now being run from State House.

Sifuna said he had distanced himself from the Linda Ground rallies while raising concerns about what he described as the irregular appointment of Oburu as party leader.

“There is no requirement on the SG to attend all those rallies. The party leader has the freedom to be able to consult party members to meet delegates in the counties. If he asks me to join him, I will join him,” the Nairobi Senator said.

He added, when asked why he has been absent from the ODM events, “I require to be involved to have information about where we are going tomorrow. I was not involved, I was not invited, and I was not informed. I saw them on the media the way that you saw them.”

The party official, while referring to the ODM constitution, said Oburu’s installation as party leader was not done in line with the law.

“The installation of Oburu Oginga as interim party leader was not procedural in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. What I would have advised had I been in that meeting is allow one of the deputies to act for one month and in 3 months’ time, call for a special NDC and do it procedurally and properly,” he stated.

Sifuna said he did not attend the meeting that proposed to appoint his Siaya Senate counterpart, as he was among the delegation that travelled to India to accompany party leader Raila Odinga’s body home.

“I was not in that meeting because I was going to fetch my party leader to bring Baba back home. I don’t think anybody considers me important enough to be waited upon, and they have their reasons why they did it in the manner they did,” he added.

The Senator also responded to suggestions that the party may expel him for leading a section of members seen as dissenting voices.

“It is okay. There is nowhere it is written that Sifuna can be the only one who is SG. I have said that I have predecessors, people who have done this job,” Sifuna said.

He added, “I have young people in ODM who, I know for a fact, if they are given the opportunity, they can do this job even better than Sifuna or all the other SGs that have served before. It is not anyone’s birthright to be SG or to be any position in the party.”