ODM
leader Raila Odinga has called on the party's Secretary General Edwin Sifuna to
tone down his criticism of President William Ruto’s administration.
Raila further assured ODM members who joined the government that the party will give them all the support they need to discharge their duties.
“Sifuna,
sometimes do not be too harsh,” Raila said as he addressed mourners during the
funeral of late Kasipul MP Charles Were in Oyugis, Homa Bay County.
Raila
explained that ODM has an arrangement with Kenya Kwanza “which was put in black
and white.”
“It
is a 10-point agenda which we want it to be fully implemented.”
He
urged ODM members to remain steadfast and work towards unifying the party.
“There
will always be differences in opinions on some issues, but a party must have a firm stand on a particular matter,” he added.
He
added that it would be beneficial for the party if the members supported the
four ODM Cabinet Secretaries in their work.
"The
spokesman of the party is the Secretary General. When Sifuna speaks, he speaks
on behalf of the party but then sazingine apana kuwa chungu sana (sometimes do
not be too harsh),” he stated.
Raila's
remarks came after Treasury CS John Mbadi asked to be supported in his role in
government, alongside Hassan Joho (Mining), Opiyo Wandayi (Energy) and Wycliffe
Oparanya (Cooperatives).
"I
am the longest-serving ODM chairman, and the reason I'm placing a lot of effort
into transforming this economy is because I found it in bad shape," Mbadi
stated.
"Another
reason is I wanted to demonstrate to Kenyans that if Raila had become
president, these are the people he would have gone with to government, and this
is what they would have done," he added.
"My
brother Sifuna, I am a member of your party and I don't belong to any other. If
I fail, there's no way you can convince anyone in 2027 that ODM can run a
government."
Sifuna
has been strongly critical of the broad-based government.
