Cherargei accuses Sifuna of lying about ODM-UDA pact
By Cy Muganda, July 23, 2025Nandi County Senator Samson Cherargei has dismissed Edwin Sifuna’s declaration that the ODM-UDA pact is dead, accusing the Nairobi Senator of hypocrisy and political dishonesty.
Responding to Sifuna’s remarks made during a local media interview on July 22, 2025, Cherargei took to his X account to challenge his colleague’s assertions, stating that the partnership remains intact and functional.
“Senator Sifuna is misleading the nation, yet ODM signed a working partnership with Kenya Kwanza Government, which is working on very well. He signed the document,” Cherargei wrote on July 22, 2025.
Personal frustrations
He characterised Sifuna’s complaints as sour grapes, arguing that Sifuna’s position is rooted in personal disappointment over being excluded from government appointments that favoured other ODM-allied leaders.
“He is disappointed that most of his colleagues were appointed to Cabinet — Mbadi, Joho, Oparanya and Wandayi,” the senator claimed, referencing John Mbadi, Hassan Joho and Wycliffe Oparanya who have been incorporated into President Ruto’s administration.
He further predicted that the ODM-Kenya Kwanza relationship would endure beyond the next elections.
“Ruto and Raila shall work beyond 2027 — the earlier he bolts out, the better for him,” he added.
Sifuna’s stance
The UDA-aligned senator’s response came hours after Sifuna, who doubles as ODM Secretary General, cited state brutality and a failure to honour the agreement’s spirit as the reason behind his stance.
“I have already declared this MOU dead,” Sifuna said, revealing he had advised against the deal from the outset.
He blamed Ruto’s administration for using the MoU as a public relations tool rather than upholding its core intentions, including the protection of lives and the preservation of democracy.
“The problem with doing a formal MOU with UDA is that it didn’t matter what the MOU said, the people from UDA, the government, William Ruto, is not interested in the details of the MOU… They wanted a document that they could then go and run a PR campaign around and say ‘Tumeungana‘, ‘We are together’, that is not what this document says,” Sifuna explained.
Sifuna cited the recent death of teacher Albert Ojwang in police custody as the turning point.
“On the day that Albert Ojwang died in a police cell, to me this agreement is dead because it doesn’t matter what else you do, Albert will not be able to enjoy that,” Sifuna declared.