Peter Mbae: Sifuna speaks with Raila’s full backing

DCP Secretary for Planning and Economic Affairs Peter Mbae has defended ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna’s recent criticisms of President William Ruto’s government, asserting that Sifuna is the clear voice of party leader Raila Odinga.

Mbae’s remarks come amid heightened tensions within ODM following Sifuna’s public declaration that the party’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Kenya Kwanza administration is effectively dead and his refusal to support President Ruto’s re-election bid.

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Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on Thursday, July 24, 2025, Mbae urged critics to take Sifuna seriously, as he is effectively the party leader’s mouthpiece.

He emphasised that all of Sifuna’s public statements regarding the government and the MOU are closely aligned with Raila Odinga’s views and political strategy.

“So what is happening here is that anytime you hear Sifuna speak, pause, put the volume high and listen to that guy. That is the voice of Raila Odinga,” Mbae declared.

Mbae further explained that Raila Odinga is carefully managing his political team, including key figures such as Joho, ministers, and principal secretaries, while using Sifuna as his spokesperson to publicly communicate their stance. He asserted that Sifuna’s statements carry the full backing of Raila and reflect the party leader’s cautious approach in navigating the coalition government.

“There is no way Sifuna can say this without the backing and full support of Raila Odinga,” Mbae said.

He also predicted that ODM’s alliance with the Kenya Kwanza government under President Ruto is nearing collapse, suggesting the party may soon withdraw from the coalition entirely.

“ODM will very soon walk out of UDA. Very soon, until you can’t believe it. Because if SG Sifuna can go on national TV and say the ODM and government deal is dead and say that he cannot support the re-election of Ruto, that is Raila himself speaking,” Mbae noted.

ODM agenda

Further, the Gachagua ally described the ODM ten-point agenda agreed upon with the government as a hurried document lacking measurable targets, which has failed to prevent ongoing extrajudicial killings and other governance failures.

He highlighted that over 60 people have been killed since the deal was signed, with no compensation paid despite public calls from Raila Odinga during last year’s Madaraka Day commemoration.

“Many people and all of us know that the ten-point agenda was a rushed document — something to officially signal the shift of ODM getting into government. It was hurried because the ten points, you look at them, there was no way of measuring them. Actually, people have been killed since then and no compensation has ever been made,” Mbae stated.