The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has pledged to safeguard the unity and strength of the Orange Party.
Sifuna said the move will help keep the ODM party as one of the late Raila’s greatest legacies.
Speaking during Raila’s funeral service on Sunday, Sifuna reflected on his eight years of service under the former Prime Minister, whom he credited for shaping his political journey and leadership philosophy.
He vowed to defend the party from internal divisions, saying he would not be part of those who weaken the movement Raila built.
“I have been extremely privileged to have met Raila, to have learnt through him and to serve him as Secretary General for the last eight years. Let me state before you here that the party you have left us, I, Sifuna, will not be part of those who fail ODM or Raila,” he said.
“Because ODM is one of your biggest legacies, I will do everything in my power to keep this party united and together, even in the face of provocation. You know what I’m talking about.”
Sifuna described Raila as a leader who listened to Kenyans and encouraged open dialogue within the party.
He urged members and supporters to uphold that spirit by sharing ideas on the future of ODM.
“Raila was a listener, he listened to Kenyans. I urge Kenyans to come out and tell us what you want us to do with Raila’s party,” he said.
He also recalled Raila’s last directive to the ODM leadership, made just weeks before his death, where he urged the party to prepare and field a candidate in the 2027 general election.
“We shall follow the last stand of Raila, which he said 23 days before he died. This is not the time to push selfish narratives in ODM. ODM is the party for everyone, for the whole country.”
This comes amid a growing call among ODM leaders to preserve Raila’s political legacy through unity and shared purpose.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s young sister Ruth revealed the last conversation she had with him shortly before his death.
Ruth Odinga said the last conversation she had with Raila was about the future of his party, the Orange Democratic Movement.
She called for unity within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), urging party members to uphold the values and strength championed by her late brother, Raila.
Speaking during a memorial gathering, Ruth recounted her final conversation with the opposition leader, saying Raila had insisted that the party must remain strong and united.
“What you said about our party, that it must remain; you told me that at 8 am the day before you passed on in the morning, that our party must be united, it must be strong. ODM must unite, we cannot have one ODM here, another one there being led by some other people and another one being led by a few people who think they own the party,” she said.
“Some of you who want to take the party don’t even know how we got it. We are going to go to any negotiation table with a strong, united, one ODM.”
Ruth warned against internal divisions, saying splinter groups risk weakening the movement Raila devoted his life to.
