Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo has renewed her defence of Edwin Sifuna, saying the Nairobi senator’s continued influence in opposition politics has proved wrong those in ODM who once dismissed him as a temporary political force.
Odhiambo said she had opposed attempts to force Sifuna out of the Orange Democratic Movement when the issue first emerged, but her position was not welcomed by some members of the party. She recalled being told that Sifuna was only a “passing cloud” and would not develop into a major political figure.
Speaking during an interview with Citizen Tv on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, the National Assembly Minority Whip said events since then had confirmed her concerns about the decision to push Sifuna away.
“I know, because it started when there was this push to throw out Sifuna from the party, and I was against it. And I thank my mighty God that I’ve been proven right, because I was told Sifuna is a passing cloud. The cloud has been here forever now. I mean, he is not passing, and it’s causing a bit of jitters on our side of the protest, because if it wasn’t causing jitters, we wouldn’t be addressing him,” Millie stated.
She questioned whether ODM would have faced a serious problem had Sifuna remained a member of the party instead of being pushed out.
“Can you imagine if Sifuna had stayed in our party? What would be the big, the biggest challenge?”
Odhiambo said the party should have allowed Sifuna to remain in ODM and make his own decision if he later felt that his political goals could not be achieved within the party.
“We create unnecessary wars, and for me, I thought there was no reason to chase Sifuna out of the party. We should have let him stay, and if he got tired or he thought the party wouldn’t enable his agenda to sail within Nairobi, he would have left his own time, but not with us, you know, kind of pushing him out, and so because I didn’t agree with that, I was told I’m sitting on the fence.”
The Suba North MP has previously maintained that the action taken against Sifuna may have helped raise his profile beyond Nairobi.
She has argued that the dispute transformed him from a Nairobi senator into a national opposition figure, putting him in a position where he could mount a challenge against President William Ruto in the 2027 elections.
Her position has, however, attracted criticism from some political quarters, with her defence of Sifuna previously earning her the “fence-sitter” label.
Odhiambo’s latest remarks come as Sifuna continues to command attention within the opposition following his exit from ODM and his continued political activity.
Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi has also backed Odhiambo’s account of what happened within ODM, saying she was among the few party members who opposed the effort to remove Sifuna from his position as Secretary-General.
Osotsi said Odhiambo raised her objections during the ODM National Executive Committee meeting held in Kilifi, but the majority of NEC members did not support her position.
According to Osotsi, the majority had already decided that Sifuna should be removed from the party leadership.