Digital Communications Strategist Pauline Njoroge has stirred fresh political debate after claiming that efforts to push Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna out of the Orange Democratic Movement would not weaken him, but instead speed up what she described as the party’s gradual collapse.
Speaking during an interview on Radio Generation on Tuesday, Njoroge argued that Sifuna has grown into a political figure whose influence now stretches beyond internal party structures, making him resilient to internal disciplinary moves.
She maintained that any attempt to remove him from ODM leadership would have little effect on his political future, insisting that his support base has expanded independently of party machinery.
"Sifuna is now bigger than ODM. ODM is on its deathbed," she said. "Kicking him out actually fastens the process."
Njoroge further argued that Sifuna’s growing political weight is not confined to party positions, but is backed by a wider network of allies and supporters drawn from different political circles and the grassroots.
"He's the one that people are following, and he's backed by other people," she said, adding that his appeal reflects broader public sentiment rather than internal party structures.
She also said political influence should not be judged only by turnout at rallies, but by a leader’s ability to turn public support into votes and electoral strength.
According to her, leaders must remain closely connected to citizens’ daily concerns if they want to maintain political relevance.
"We have to ask ourselves what people need now. Are we representing their aspirations and dreams as we should? Are we effectively being their voice?" she said.
Njoroge also shifted focus to the planned June 25 commemorations linked to the 2024 anti-tax protests, saying the events should serve as a moment of reflection on the lives lost during the demonstrations.
"The events of June 2024 will be part of this country's history for a very long time," she said. "The people who died in June 2024 are worth remembrance."
She urged authorities to allow citizens and affected families space to remember and express themselves freely during the commemorations without interference.
"The state should be very careful not to take that opportunity again to suppress citizens when they want to express themselves, or when they want to mourn and remember what happened," she added.
Her comments come just a day after ODM’s National Executive Committee resolved to remove Sifuna as Secretary General after adopting recommendations from the party’s Internal Disputes Resolution Committee, which said disciplinary procedures had been followed.
The move followed months of internal disagreements and court battles over his position within the party.
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