Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has broken his silence after being removed as the Senate Deputy Minority Whip, thanking colleagues from both sides of the House for their support and congratulating his successor, Migori Senator Eddy Oketch, in remarks marked by humility and humour.
Speaking on the floor of the Senate shortly after Speaker Amason Kingi announced the leadership changes, Sifuna expressed gratitude to senators from both the Minority and Majority sides for working with him during his tenure.
“Honourable Speaker, I take this opportunity to very humbly thank the leadership and the members of the Minority side for the cooperation that they’ve given me. Even the Majority side for the cooperation that they’ve shown me in the time that I have been Deputy Whip,” Sifuna said.
He also wished Eddy Oketch well in his new role, recalling their previous interactions in the House with a light-hearted remark that drew attention to one of the Deputy Whip's key responsibilities.
“I congratulate my young brother, the Honourable Senator from Migori, for his new role. You remember, Senator Eddy, how many times I have called you as your Whip so that you give us quorum. I am happy that that is now going to be your job, to look for quorum in this House so that we can transact business,” he said.
Moments earlier, Speaker Kingi had formally communicated Sifuna's removal from the position and announced that Oketch would take over with immediate effect.
Kingi said he had verified the communication from the Minority Party before making the announcement, including the meeting minutes and signatures supporting the changes.
“The new office holder with immediate effect is Senator Eddy Gicheru Oketch,” Kingi told the House.
The leadership reshuffle comes amid ongoing political realignments within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), where Sifuna has remained one of the party's most outspoken leaders despite growing differences over its relationship with the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Besides serving as Nairobi Senator, Sifuna has also been ODM Secretary-General, although he recently lost that position following a decision by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP).
Barely a week before his removal as Senate Deputy Minority Whip, the Registrar formally recognised his ouster as ODM Secretary-General after finding that the party had followed the requirements of both the Political Parties Act and the ODM constitution.
In a letter signed by Registrar of Political Parties and Chief Executive Officer J.C. Lorionokou, the office said it had reviewed documents submitted by the party and noted that Sifuna had not responded to the issues raised during the process.
“Upon review of the documents submitted by the party and the lack of response from Hon. Edwin Watenya Sifuna, we note that the removal of the party Secretary-General was in line with the Political Parties Act, Cap. 7D, and the ODM party constitution,” the letter stated.
However, Sifuna has challenged that decision through his legal team, maintaining that the process leading to his removal did not comply with the law or the party's internal procedures. The dispute over the Secretary-General position remains before the courts even as the latest Senate leadership changes add another chapter to the political developments surrounding the Nairobi Senator.