Night of long knives: Inside ODM, Ruto meeting that toppled Sifuna

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna during the Senate's County Public Accounts Committee at Bunge Towers, Parliament, Nairobi, July 9, 2026. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

President William Ruto was at the centre of moves that led to the removal of Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna as Senate Deputy Minority Whip, after hosting a meeting with a section of ODM senators led by party leader Oburu Odinga at State House, Nairobi, on Wednesday, sources have claimed.

Hours after the State House meeting, a tense night gathering of 21 Azimio-aligned senators set the stage for Sifuna’s ouster, with Migori Senator Eddy Oketch replacing him as Deputy Minority Whip.