Kaluma cautions Sifuna against contradicting ODM decisions in public
By Mustafa Juma, July 24, 2025Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has issued a measured but firm caution to ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, urging him to respect the collective decisions of the party and avoid airing internal matters in public.
Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on the night of Thursday, July 24, 2025, Kaluma acknowledged Sifuna’s right to hold and express personal opinions but emphasised that such expressions must be guided by the responsibilities and limits of his office.
“We must also understand that Sifuna himself, beyond being the secretary of the party, is an individual—a leader with his own right of opinion,” Kaluma said.
“If we tried to silence Sifuna, then I can tell you, the ‘D’ in ODM would be dying.”
Balancing personal opinions
Despite recognising Sifuna’s freedom of thought, Kaluma pointed out that when one serves in a leadership position within a political party, personal opinions must be carefully balanced against party discipline and collective decision-making.
“All I want to tell my brother, because I don’t want to castigate him, is that when you are a secretary of the party, you cannot give yourself the mandate—outside the institution of the party—to contradict the decisions of the party taken,” Kaluma stated.
He further criticised what he described as a tendency by Sifuna to share internal party deliberations with the public.
“You cannot and should not go out talking to the outside world about matters discussed internally,” he added.
The comments come amid ongoing internal debate within ODM over various strategic positions and party messaging.
Sifuna’s views
Sifuna, who also serves as Nairobi Senator, has at times voiced views that appear to diverge from official party lines, sparking both support and concern within party ranks.
In a recent interview on a local TV station, Sifuna bare-knuckled the broad-based government, especially President William Ruto and his troops, for suppressing violations of human rights.
He also criticised the government for failing to honour the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), particularly on issues related to extrajudicial killings, abductions, and governance failures.
Sifuna had also termed the removal of President Ruto a national priority.