Inside betrayal politics tearing Mulembe Nation apart

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula shifted allegiance to President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza Alliance ahead of the 2022 General Election. [File, Standard] The attempt to remove Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna as secretary-general of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has triggered more than an internal party shake-up. It has opened up old wounds of disunity and betrayal in Western Kenya's political landscape. Questions now linger: Why does a region with over 2.6 million registered voters keep losing strategic national positions? At a charged National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Mombasa on February 11, 2026, ODM resolved to remove Sifuna from the influential post, citing indiscipline and breach of party protocol. Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo, also from the Western region, was appointed Acting Secretary-General, while Saboti MP Caleb Amisi was removed from the NEC. The attempted ouster has exposed deep divisions within the party over its direction, strategy, and relationship with President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA). For many in the Mulembe Nation, a reference to the area covering Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, Vihiga, and Trans Nzoia counties, the decision was not just about party discipline. It was seen as another chapter in a long history of Western Kenya leaders rising to national prominence only to be edged out amid internal wrangles and shifting alliances. From the days of Masinde Muliro to Michael Wamalwa, the region has since struggled to find its political footing either on the bid for presidency or stability for top parties' seat like the one Sifuna holds. Sifuna's attempted removal mirrors previous high-profile exits involving Western Kenya politicians. In July 2016, Ababu Namwamba resigned as ODM Secretary-General citing frustration with what he described as endless internal wrangles. Namwamba, who served as Budalang'i MP from 2013 to 2017 and is now Kenya's High Commissioner to Uganda, has repeatedly insisted that his departure was voluntary and principled. Responding to comparisons between his exit and Sifuna's ouster, Namwamba was emphatic. "No one ever fired me from the position of ODM Secretary-General. When I couldn't stand the everlasting party shenanigans, I had the audacity and honour to walk away, head held high, with my pride intact," he said. Similarly, in August 2024, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) revoked the appointment of Cleophas Malala as its secretary-general. The former Kakamega senator later claimed his removal was linked to internal power struggles tied to attempts to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. These episodes, analysts say, form a troubling pattern for the region. President William Ruto chats with Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Speaker National Assembly Moses Wetangula during a previous event. [File, Standard] "Western Kenya produces national figures, but internal divisions and shifting alliances often deny them longevity in those positions. The region struggles to defend its own once political storms begin," observes political analyst David Owino. Sifuna, who was appointed ODM Secretary-General in January 2019 during a delegates' meeting presided over by then party leader Raila Odinga, had become one of the party's most visible and articulate voices nationally. The recent shake-up has created two clear factions within ODM that have extended to the Western region. The first, led by Sifuna, Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi, Siaya Governor James Orengo, and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, among others, has mobilised under the "Linda Mwananchi" initiative. This faction has consistently opposed broad cooperation with UDA, insisting that ODM should maintain its opposition stance and field its own presidential candidate in 2027. On the other side stands party leader and Siaya senator Oburu Oginga and his allies, including chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, who advocate "a pragmatic approach" of engaging with the ruling party. Sifuna's removal sparked anger in Bungoma, his political backyard, and across the region. In Bungoma, several supporters burnt ODM orange shirts while chanting anti-party songs. Saboti MP Caleb Amisi, a native of Western Kenya who was removed as Deputy Organising Secretary, did not mince his words after his removal from the NEC. "They are testing the ground to remove everyone not supporting Ruto. I gladly become the first casualty! We shall not relent. History will judge us fairly," Amisi said. In Kakamega, opinion leader Kennedy Amiani described the move as a wake-up call for the region. "We are happy as the Mulembe Nation that finally the battle lines have been drawn. Now, as a region, we activate the grand plan that is fully abandoning ODM," said Amiani, adding: "The removal of Sifuna signals the start of a mass walkout of the region from the Orange party." In Vihiga County where Osotsi comes from, tension simmered as residents gathered in Chavakali and Mbale to debate the implications. Osotsi, who has been perceived as close to Sifuna, has also faced pressure within party ranks. The appointment of Catherine Omanyo as acting SG has also sparked controversy in Western Kenya. While some see it as an attempt to maintain regional balance, others argue it is a strategic move to neutralise dissent. A majority of residents interviewed said they felt Omanyo's elevation was meant to "hoodwink" the region. "No one knew Omanyo until she was put up to read the presser. We feel she was used to finish her own brother from the region," said Godwin Otsialo, an ODM supporter, reflecting a section of grassroots sentiment. In Kakamega County, one of ODM's strongholds, the party appeared to have split the region. Governor Fernandes Barasa, who is also the county ODM chairperson, backed the NEC decision sparking debate on his defence to his own kin. "The ODM delegates in Kakamega affirm their support for the NEC resolution and reiterate their commitment to party unity, discipline, and institutional integrity," Barasa said. "As a party, we need to operate within the party structures, and as ODM Kakamega County, we support the decision made to remove Sifuna. We need to have discipline within the party." He further sought to urge ODM members in the county to remain firmly behind party leader Oburu. But a section of ODM MCAs, led by Lumakanda's Bernard Mulama and nominated MCA Lilian Osiema, rejected that position. "We are disappointed by what the NEC did to our own. We want to tell those Luhya leaders who are celebrating that you have betrayed our region," Mulama said. The MCAs argued that ODM's future lies with youthful leaders and warned that silencing emerging voices could alienate the party's base in Western Kenya. The current turbulence cannot be divorced from the dramatic political realignment ahead of 2027. For years, Western Kenya stood firmly behind Raila Odinga, forming a critical pillar of ODM's national base from 2007 through 2017. But ahead of the 2022 General Election, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula shifted allegiance to President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza coalition. For decades, Western Kenya has been courted aggressively during campaigns but rarely rewarded with the country's highest offices. The repeated removal or sidelining of its leaders from powerful party positions, from Namwamba to Malala to Sifuna, has revived painful questions about whether the region can ever negotiate as a united bloc. As the 2027 race begins to take shape, the stakes are rising. "The 2027 election will be a huge test: Will Western Kenya vote in one basket and bargain collectively, or scatter again and lose national influence?" Posed Ominde.

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