Despite replacing Edwin Sifuna as Senate Deputy Minority Whip, Migori Senator Eddy Oketch says there is no bad blood between them, revealing that their friendship stretches back more than a decade and was forged while working closely with the late Raila Odinga.
Speaking in an interview with Radio Generation, Oketch dismissed claims that his appointment to the Senate leadership had created a rift with the Nairobi senator, insisting that while they now hold different political views, their personal relationship remains intact.
Early this month, on July 16, Sifuna was stripped of his position as Senate Deputy Minority Whip days after the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties approved his removal as Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General.
The party appointed Oketch to replace him with immediate effect, with Senate Speaker Amason Kingi announcing the changes in line with the Senate Standing Orders governing Minority leadership.
Responding to claims that the leadership changes had fuelled tension between the two, Oketch said the public had misunderstood their relationship.
"Me have beef with Sifuna? Edwin Sifuna has been my friend for I think now going to probably 10-11 years," he said.
Oketch said they first crossed paths through Raila's political circle after he met the former Prime Minister while studying in South Africa around 2010.
https://x.com/RadioGenKe/status/2083104115719081990
The ODM Senator recalled initially serving as a note-taker during exclusive meetings involving Raila, Dr Adhu Awiti, ODM Executive Director Oduor Ong'wen and Professor Edward Ayuki before gradually taking on more responsibilities within Raila's international engagements.
According to Oketch, Sifuna was at the time focused on strengthening ODM's party structures while he handled assignments on the international front.
"I was working with Baba on a more global level, and Sifuna was working with Baba on a more party structure and local level. That's how we came close with Sifuna," he said.
The Migori senator also revealed that he and Sifuna were among the elected leaders who travelled to India following Raila's death, describing the experience as one of the most painful moments of his political life.
"I was actually the one who was told to pray for Baba to come back home. I've never told this story. Perhaps I've never had the energy to because I'm still in so much pain," he said.
Oketch said his years working closely with Raila exposed him to high-level diplomatic engagements, although he had rarely spoken publicly about the role.
"Among elected senators that we have, with a lot of humility, perhaps there is no one now who ever travelled with Baba abroad to set up diplomatic agenda of this country and develop resources that I did. I've never claimed that," he said.
He said his friendship with Sifuna deepened after the disputed 2017 General Election when they worked together in the opposition movement.
Oketch disclosed that they were among the key figures behind the formation of the People's Assembly, which later laid the groundwork for Raila's symbolic swearing-in as the People's President.
"Actually, we were the people who built what we called the People's Assembly. If you remember that carried up swearing in Baba," he said.
He named economist David Ndii, Senator Amida, Norman Magaya and members of the Olekina family among those who worked together in the committee, saying many Kenyans were unaware of the people behind the movement.
The senator added that he and Sifuna also travelled to South Africa to study how the African National Congress (ANC) was organised, a trip that strengthened both their political and personal ties.
"I am telling you up to now, Sifuna remains a very good friend of mine, and there is no beef. Even if you call him, he will tell you some of the wars we have fought in that Senate," he said.
Oketch recalled that they stood together during the campaign against the Finance Bill, saying they were among the most vocal senators supporting Gen Z protesters and opposing the controversial tax proposals.
"The vocal people who actually pushed the agenda against the Finance Bill and standing with Gen Zs were us," he said.
Political principles, not personal differences
Senator Oketch, however, acknowledged that his political paths with his Nairobi counterpart began to diverge after Raila initiated cooperation with President William Ruto's administration.
"So there has never been beef. It's only that we are at a point where we have differed politically on political principle, not on ideology, on political principles, which is okay," he said.
The ODM legislator said the differences emerged after Raila called on ODM leaders to support efforts aimed at stabilising the country following months of political tension.
According to Oketch, he agreed with Raila's position that Kenya needed political stability ahead of the 2027 General Election.
"I actually strongly believe in what Baba said that let us anchor this government, let us give it a chance for two things, to enable us maintain a democratic state until 2027 when we can change power."
He argued that Raila believed allowing the country to slide into prolonged instability could have had serious consequences.
"Baba said that if it is better to have an unstable country and an imperfect government than having none at all, because we reach a point where we could have gone the direction of Libya or other countries that have collapsed under military states or other military governance."
Oketch said Raila's position was not about abandoning the opposition but ensuring the government remained accountable while continuing to serve Kenyans.
"It will be unfair to sustain that government to 2027 without it providing services to Kenyans while taking taxes from Kenyans."
He said Raila also made it clear that ODM's cooperation with the government had to be accompanied by firm demands for equitable service delivery.
"Baba told us that we must make sure that this government works for all Kenyans equitably, because now, since we are coming to anchor this government, we must make certain demands."
Oketch maintained that while he and Sifuna now hold different political positions on the cooperation between ODM and President Ruto's administration, their disagreement should not be mistaken for personal animosity.
He said the friendship they built over years of working together in ODM, during political campaigns and in Parliament, remains intact despite their differing approaches to the country's political direction.