ODM squabble: Nyamita dares Sifuna to quit over Kenya Kwanza deal
By Aloys Michael, July 24, 2025Uriri Member of Parliament Mark Nyamita has come out strongly against ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, urging him to quit the party if he no longer believes in the political agreement ODM entered with President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration.
Nyamita’s comments come in response to Sifuna’s recent criticism of the government for failing to honour the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), particularly on issues related to extrajudicial killings, abductions, and governance failures.
Sifuna had termed the removal of President Ruto a national priority.
“If you didn’t believe in the MOU in the first place and you’re the Secretary General, if you don’t believe in the association, simply bolt out. It’s simple,” Nyamita said in a direct rebuke during an interview on a local TV station on Thursday, July 24, 2025.
The Uriri legislator defended ODM’s engagement with the government, emphasising that the MOU was a strategic move aimed at ensuring national stability until the 2027 general election.
“I heard the party leader speak last week. He said this association was the only way to remove the president, and that is through the ballot in 2027. Until then, we must have our country intact. If we are to remove him, it must be for a valid reason. Sifuna did not provide that,” Nyamita stated.
Responding to Sifuna’s claims that his criticism was rooted in genuine concern for Kenyans, Nyamita suggested Sifuna’s rhetoric was more about political survival in Nairobi.
“You have to ask yourself, who is Sifuna’s audience? He said in that same interview that he’s defending his seat in Nairobi. So when he speaks, he speaks to that audience. That audience is not me or my people,” Nyamita said, adding that Sifuna’s urban-centric view ignores the reality of rural constituencies like Uriri.
“In Nairobi, you can complain about potholes where there are roads, or about water pressure where there is water. But in the countryside, there are no roads to start with. No water. So if this government is attempting to fix some of these issues, that becomes a priority for us,” he added.
Nyamita maintained that the ODM-Kenya Kwanza arrangement, though controversial, remains the party’s best bet at influencing governance while preparing for the 2027 elections.