Zaheer Jhanda claims Sifuna lobbied for CS post but lost
By Mustafa Juma, July 25, 2025Nyaribari Chache Member of Parliament (MP) Zaheer Jhanda has claimed that Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna lobbied intensely to be included in President William Ruto’s proposed broad-based government.
According to Jhanda, Sifuna’s efforts to get himself a Cabinet Secretary post was ultimately rejected in favour of former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya.
In a pointed statement shared on social media in the wee hours of Friday, July 25, 2025, Jhanda claimed that Sifuna had set his sights on the cabinet position during the formation of the unity government framework, only to be passed over after internal consultations.
“Former ODM SG in waiting, Edwin Sifuna, lobbied hard to be part of the Cabinet during the formation of the broad-based government,” Jhanda said.
“But his bid was flatly rejected. CS Oparanya was picked for the very position Sifuna had his eyes on. Now you understand the bitterness.”
Sifuna’s remarks
The remarks appear to target Sifuna’s recent public criticisms of the ODM-UDA Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Sifuna has questioned the implementation of the MoU resolutions and has voiced skepticism over ODM’s power-sharing arrangements with President Ruto’s administration.
Jhanda’s statement suggests that Sifuna’s public disapproval may be fuelled by personal disappointment rather than principled political opposition.
As of now, neither Sifuna nor Oparanya has publicly responded to the claims.
Kaluma cautions Sifuna
Jhanda’s remarks come hours after Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma issued a measured but firm caution to 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.”
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.