Lawyer Edwin Sifuna lost a 2017 bid for the Nairobi Senate seat, became secretary-general of the Orange Democratic Movement in 2018 and won the seat in 2022. After he opposed ODM's cooperation with President William Ruto, the party removed him as secretary-general in 2026. He was then unveiled as leader of The Equitable Party, which has applied to rename itself the Linda Mwananchi Movement, and the Linda Mwananchi movement has named him its 2027 presidential candidate. His public dispute with Ruto is covered on a separate page.
Sifuna remains Senator for Nairobi. The Registrar recorded his removal as ODM secretary-general in July 2026, and The Star and The Standard reported that the tribunal dismissed his challenge in September. He was unveiled in October as leader of The Equitable Party, which is seeking to change its name to the Linda Mwananchi Movement. The sources reviewed do not establish that the name change has been completed.
Main story: 23 February 2018 to 30 October 2026. The full timeline also includes labelled context or related events.
26 events shown
Sifuna's own biography dates his admission to the Roll of Advocates to 2008. Parliament's profile records a law degree from the University of Nairobi and a postgraduate diploma from the Kenya School of Law in 2007.
Sifuna's biography dates the start of his political career to 2013. The Star and Citizen Digital describe his early work as technical and advisory roles in opposition coalitions before his appointment as ODM secretary-general.
Ahead of the 2017 general election Sifuna sought the Orange Democratic Movement's nomination for the Kanduyi parliamentary seat in Bungoma County and did not secure it, according to the Daily Nation, Citizen Digital and The Star.
Sifuna stood for the Nairobi Senate seat on ODM's ticket in the August 2017 general election and lost to Johnson Sakaja. IEBC's election data report records 832,841 votes for Sakaja and 691,414 for Sifuna.
ODM named Sifuna its secretary-general at a meeting at Orange House in Nairobi attended by party leader Raila Odinga, succeeding Ababu Namwamba, who had resigned in July 2016. Agnes Zani, who had been acting in the role, returned to her post as deputy secretary-general, Capital FM reported. The Standard reported that the party's national executive council picked him a day earlier.
Sifuna was declared elected Senator for Nairobi after the August 9, 2022 general election, The Standard and Citizen Digital reported on August 14. IEBC's subsequent Kenya Gazette notice, published on August 24, lists him as the elected senator with 716,876 votes.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi ruled that Sifuna had been validly elected Deputy Minority Whip and now held that office. The ruling followed the Azimio parliamentary group's February 14 selection and a dispute over the proposed leadership changes. Kingi also confirmed Ledama Olekina as Minority Whip in place of Fatuma Dullo.
A day after Ruto nominated four ODM figures to his cabinet, Sifuna said on Citizen TV that no ODM organ he sat in had decided to join the government and that he expected the nominees to resign their party posts before vetting.
An attributed statement records what the speaker said.
Speaking in Mumias, Sifuna said the March 2025 memorandum of understanding between ODM and Ruto's United Democratic Alliance had lost its force after the death of Albert Ojwang in police custody, People Daily reported. He repeated on Citizen TV on July 22 that he had declared the agreement dead, The Star reported.
An attributed statement records what the speaker said.
Addressing ODM delegates in Kakamega, Odinga said Sifuna was entitled to his views on the pact and that the remarks would be discussed in party organs. Suna East MP Junet Mohamed said at a separate rally that only Odinga could declare the agreement dead, The Star reported.
An attributed statement records what the speaker said.
Four months after Odinga's death, ODM's National Executive Committee, chaired by party leader Oburu Oginga, resolved at a meeting in Mombasa to remove Sifuna as secretary-general with immediate effect, citing indiscipline. Deputy Secretary-General Catherine Omanyo was named to act in the post.
Sifuna rejected his removal, saying it breached the party constitution and that he would challenge it in court, Capital FM and The Eastleigh Voice reported. He maintained that he remained the party's duly elected secretary-general.
An attributed statement records what the speaker said.
On Sifuna's application, the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal stayed implementation of the February 11 resolution and barred its publication in the Kenya Gazette pending a hearing of both sides, Citizen Digital and Capital FM reported on February 12.
Sifuna led a rally of his Linda Mwananchi movement, a faction opposed to ODM leaders who favoured a deal with Ruto, in Kitengela, Kajiado County. Police fired teargas at the rally, The Standard reported, and it ended abruptly. Sifuna accused state agents of disrupting a peaceful assembly.
The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal struck out Sifuna's first challenge, saying it lacked jurisdiction because the party's internal dispute process had not been tried. It directed the parties to that process and said his removal should not be filed with the Registrar of Political Parties until it concluded.
The Senate approved Moses Kajwang' to replace Sifuna on the Energy Committee. Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot moved the committee changes recommended by the Senate Business Committee, and Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo seconded the motion.
Tribunal chair Gad Gathu ruled that the February resolution was invalid to the extent that it removed Sifuna without a fair hearing. The tribunal dismissed his other prayers and said ODM could conclude disciplinary proceedings begun with an April 2, 2026 notice to show cause.
ODM's National Executive Committee unanimously adopted the recommendations of a committee that had heard the complaint against Sifuna and removed him as secretary-general with immediate effect, acting secretary-general Catherine Omanyo announced. Capital FM reported that his counsel, Isaac Okero, had told the committee on April 20 that Sifuna would not take part in its hearing, citing alleged bias. Al Jazeera reported that Sifuna had opposed closer cooperation with Ruto.
Sifuna's Linda Mwananchi faction said it would challenge the second removal in court, calling it unprocedural, unfair and contrary to the party constitution, The Eastleigh Voice and Daily Nation reported.
An attributed statement records what the speaker said.
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties told ODM that the removal complied with the Political Parties Act and the party constitution, noted that Sifuna had not responded, and said it had updated the party's records. Okero said on Sifuna's behalf that the step was procedurally improper and that they would seek relief.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi announced that Eddy Gicheru Oketch had replaced Sifuna as Deputy Minority Whip with immediate effect, after verifying Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo's letter and the parliamentary group's supporting records. Sifuna thanked senators for their cooperation during his tenure and congratulated Oketch.
The Star and The Standard reported that the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal dismissed Sifuna's challenge to his June removal. They reported that the tribunal rejected his argument that the party's National Executive Committee lacked authority to appoint the hearing panel and found that he had been afforded a fair hearing. This concerned the later disciplinary process, distinct from the February resolution that had been invalidated.
After a leadership retreat, the Linda Mwananchi movement said in a statement that Sifuna would be its leader and 2027 presidential candidate and that he would unveil the party whose ticket he would use in early October.
Sifuna was presented as leader of The Equitable Party and said it would seek to rebrand itself the Linda Mwananchi Movement, Citizen Digital and The Standard reported. The unveiling did not itself complete a legal change of the party's name.
Citizen Digital and The Standard reported that The Equitable Party's proposed change of name to the Linda Mwananchi Movement had entered the gazettement process. Publication of the proposal was a step toward a name change, rather than confirmation that the change had been completed.
Sifuna launched the Linda Mwananchi headquarters and party secretariat in Nairobi, The Standard and Kenyans.co.ke reported.
Raila Odinga lost the August 2022 Kenyan presidential election to William Ruto, failed to overturn it at the Supreme Court and led protests in 2023. From 2024 the two...
William Ruto chose Rigathi Gachagua as his running mate in 2022, and the pair won the presidency. After a public break in 2024, Parliament impeached and removed...
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna opposed ODM's cooperation with President William Ruto and said he would not support an ODM decision to endorse Ruto in 2027. ODM removed...
The ICC Prosecutor charged Kenyatta with crimes against humanity of murder, deportation or forcible transfer, rape, other inhumane acts and persecution, relating to...
Daily Nation · nation.africa
Citizen Digital · citizen.digital
Capital FM (Kenya) · capitalfm.africa Citizen Digital · citizen.digital Citizen Digital · citizen.digital
People Daily (Kenya) · peopledaily.digital
Capital FM (Kenya) · capitalfm.co.ke Citizen Digital · citizen.digital
Capital FM, republished by AllAfrica · allafrica.com People Daily (Kenya) · peopledaily.digital
The Eastleigh Voice · eastleighvoice.co.ke Capital FM (Kenya) · capitalfm.africa The Eastleigh Voice · eastleighvoice.co.ke
Al Jazeera · aljazeera.com Capital FM (Kenya) · capitalfm.africa Citizen Digital · citizen.digital Citizen Digital · citizen.digital Citizen Digital · citizen.digital Citizen Digital · citizen.digital
Kenyans.co.ke · kenyans.co.ke Citizen Digital · citizen.digital Citizen Digital · citizen.digital Capital FM (Kenya) · capitalfm.co.ke The Eastleigh Voice · eastleighvoice.co.keCoverage through 30 October 2026. Editorial review: 2 November 2026. Spotted an error? See corrections. Copyright concerns: report an asset. Every event links to its sources. Source type does not establish whether a claim is true.