President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga sign the broad-based agreement./FILE
The ODM party Central Committee has now reaffirmed its support for the political agreement between party leader Raila Odinga and President William Ruto’s UDA following recent divisions within ODM ranks.
In a statement issued after a Committee meeting held in Nairobi, ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna said the party fully supports the deal and the decision by Raila to cooperate with the Kenya Kwanza administration.
“...the party supports the position of party leader Raila Odinga to work with the Kenya Kwanza administration to stabilise the country and create an enabling environment for Kenyans to address their concerns through democratic and constitutional means,” Sifuna said in a statement.
The statement now marks a shift in tone for Sifuna, who had earlier criticised the UDA-ODM pact as "dead".
He cited police brutality and the recent death of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang in police custody. His remarks triggered backlash within the party, with growing calls for his resignation.
Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma became the latest ODM member to demand the resignation or removal of Sifuna for what he claimed is fueling confusion within the party.
“He must resign or be thrown out of the ODM party. The faster this happens, the better,” Kaluma said in a statement posted on his X account on Tuesday.
As part of the resolutions during Tuesday’s meeting chaired by Raila, the Central Committee further announced it will form a special team to work with UDA to ensure the agreement between the parties is implemented.
“That in order to expedite the implementation of the 10-point agenda of the MOU, ODM will constitute a technical team to work with UDA counterparts as part of the political infrastructure to assist with the implementation of the agreement,” he said.
The Committee, Sifuna said, identified the absence of such a technical committee, which is contained in the MOU, as the missing link in the implementation of the document.
Key priorities under the agreement include the full implementation of the NADCO report, protection of youth livelihoods, upholding the right to peaceful assembly and protest, strengthening the rule of law, and addressing corruption and public resource wastage.
