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Sifuna Declares ODM Will Field Presidential Candidate in 2027

The burial of veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga was overshadowed on Sunday by a stark public division within his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), as Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna explicitly rejected a senior senator’s declaration of support for President William Ruto.

The political drama unfolded on Sunday, 19th October 2025, in Bondo, where Sifuna directly countered remarks made earlier by Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina, who had stated the party was “united” and would support Ruto’s re-election campaign.

Please read: ODM Vows to Stay in Government, Pledges Stability After Raila’s Death

“Let me set the record straight,” Sifuna asserted during his eulogy. “The party position is not what people are trying to speculate. When Baba was with us, he stated unequivocally that the ODM party will have its own candidate in the 2027 presidential election. That is the true and official position of the party.”

This public rebuttal exposes a significant ideological rift within ODM as it navigates its future under its new leader, Raila’s elder brother, Dr. Oburu Odinga.

Ole Kina’s comments had suggested a path of continuity within President Ruto’s broad-based government. In contrast, Sifuna’s statement signals a forceful push from a powerful faction to return ODM to its traditional role as the nation’s primary opposition.

Sifuna, a long-standing and vocal critic of the Ruto administration, reinforced his reputation during the emotionally charged ceremony.

His history of vehemently attacking the government’s policies, even during Raila Odinga’s lifetime, lends weight to his challenge and underscores the internal battle for the party’s soul.

The public clash between top officials, at the very event meant to honour their late leader, throws ODM’s strategic direction into question and sets the stage for a critical internal power struggle in the run-up to the 2027 elections.