Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has broken his silence with a mix of defiance and dark humor after losing both his ODM Secretary-General title and his position as Deputy Senate Minority Whip within the space of days — a political stripping he says has taken away every position the late Raila Odinga once entrusted to him.
“They have taken away every major position that Baba gave me,” Sifuna said, referencing his once-close relationship with the ODM founder, whose legacy Sifuna has increasingly positioned himself as defending against what he calls a hostile takeover of the party by leaders cozying up to President Ruto’s government.
The removal as Deputy Senate Minority Whip came after Senate Speaker Amason Kingi confirmed correspondence from Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo showing a resolution had been passed to replace Sifuna with Migori Senator Eddy Oketch, effective immediately.
It followed closely on the heels of the Registrar of Political Parties formally recognizing Sifuna’s removal as ODM Secretary-General — a decision he is currently challenging in court, arguing the process violated both the Political Parties Act and ODM’s own internal procedures.
Despite the losses, Sifuna struck a notably good-humored tone about his new political identity, telling supporters that his Gen Z base has already decided his old title no longer fits.
“The Gen Zs have told me it’s time to stop calling me SG. They want to give me a new title, H.E,” he said, adding in Swahili: “Vijana wameniambia sasa niwache kuitwa SG, wanataka kunipatia ingine inaitwa H.E.” — a cheeky nod to “His Excellency,” the honorific reserved for heads of state, hinting at grassroots enthusiasm for a bigger political future.
The dual ouster has not gone unchallenged within opposition ranks.
A section of senators aligned with the Linda Mwananchi faction have accused the Executive of orchestrating Sifuna’s removal at a State House lunch meeting before it was rubber-stamped through what they call an unlawful parliamentary process — allegations Sifuna’s allies say prove his removal was politically motivated rather than procedural.
Even as he loses formal titles, Sifuna’s youthful “H.E” rebrand suggests he has no intention of fading quietly.
With a Bungoma homecoming rally already in the works and Gen Z crowds rallying around his “Sisi Ndio Sifuna” chant, the senator appears to be betting that grassroots popularity, not party positions, will define his next chapter.