Sifuna Calls Out State House For Denying That ODM MPs Skipped Meeting With Ruto

Tensions flared on X on Wednesday, September 11 after Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna accused State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed of deception after the latter denied reports that some MPs from the ODM party snubbed a meeting convened by President William Ruto on Monday.

The exchange blew open loopholes between key political figures, with questions mounting regarding ODM's real relationship with the Kenya Kwanza government, having been on the opposing side since the campaign period leading up to the 2022 general elections.

It all began with Mohamed termed a front-page story published by the Daily Nation on Wednesday, September 11, under the headline, “Why Raila MPs Skipped Ruto Meeting.” as "not only misleading, but also mischievous and baseless."

State House spokesperson, Hussein Mohamed during a past address. /FILE

In explaining his account of the real sequence of events, the spokesperson noted that on September 9, President Ruto inspected the progress of the 4,054-unit Kibera Soweto East Zone B Affordable Housing Project in Nairobi County.

After the event, the MPs in attendance accompanied the President to State House for an informal lunch.

"Contrary to the story by ‘Daily Nation', there was no formal meeting as suggested," Mohamed clarified.

"State House communicates or invites MPs or any other individuals or groups through official channels only. For ‘Daily Nation' to base its story on a source outside these official channels is both misleading and irresponsible."

But, a response from Sifuna which read “You are lying Omwami" only served to raise more eyebrows, a response which came after President Ruto was pictured with a section of ODM MPs including Makadara MP George Aladwa at State House on the same day that meeting reportedly took place.

The article claimed that several ODM MPs had boycotted a State House meeting with the President, citing internal discontent within the party following ODM leader Raila Odinga's political truce with Dr Ruto. According to the story, this disquiet had led to the MPs’ absence, with some members wary of how their constituents might react to ODM’s perceived integration into the Kenya Kwanza government.

Sifuna’s remarks were evidence of dissatisfaction among some ODM legislators, who have grown increasingly uneasy with the party’s warming relations with the Ruto administration.

Following Raila Odinga’s deal with President Ruto, which saw five ODM members incorporated into the government’s Cabinet, concerns have been raised about the party’s direction.

The absence of several prominent Nairobi ODM MPs from Monday’s gathering, including Sifuna, Anthony Oluoch (Mathare), Babu Owino (Embakasi East), and Tim Wanyonyi (Westlands), was seen as a silent protest against what political analysts believe is another form of a 'handshake' in the works.

Aladwa had earlier sent a message to Nairobi ODM lawmakers, informing them of the President’s request for their presence at the housing project and the subsequent State House meeting, however, most of them did not attend, with Aladwa, Beatrice Elachi (Dagoretti North), Phelix Odiwuor “Jalang’o” (Lang’ata), and Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris being the only MPs who showed up.

The tensions between ODM and the Kenya Kwanza government could pose serious political consequences and worsen a gridlock that is capable of slowing down government functions.