https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/Ongoing. 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 him as secretary-general in June 2026. He was later unveiled as leader of The Equitable Party and the Linda Mwananchi movement's presidential candidate, while Ruto publicly criticised him and his party.enhttps://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e20sifuna-ruto-259a194cf4Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Sifuna launched the party secretariat in Nairobi and proposed officials, including Caroli Omondi as secretary-general and Godfrey Osotsi as chairperson, for endorsement by a delegates conference, and named George Natembeya to lead his campaign, The Standard and Kenyans.co.ke reported. Citizen Digital and The Standard had reported a proposed change of name to the Linda Mwananchi Movement and objections to it. A final registration decision has not been verified for this timeline.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e19sifuna-ruto-8390613c50Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000On a tour of West Pokot, Ruto called Sifuna Mr Empty and mocked The Equitable Party as The Empty Party, Capital FM and Citizen Digital reported. Both reports said he criticised Sifuna's appeals for small contributions.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e18sifuna-ruto-5359eaa057Sun, 04 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000In Nairobi, Sifuna was declared leader and presidential candidate of The Equitable Party, with Babu Owino, Boni Khalwale, James Orengo, George Natembeya and Godfrey Osotsi among those present, Citizen Digital reported. The Standard reported that the party would seek to rename itself the Linda Mwananchi Movement after the Registrar reserved the Linda Mwananchi name on October 1.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e17sifuna-ruto-59c838b185Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Ruto told Sifuna to use parliamentary procedures to obtain the agreement for the proposed Dangote refinery, Citizen Digital and The Standard reported. Sifuna had questioned why Parliament had not been shown the agreement or the commitments Kenya had made for the project.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e16sifuna-ruto-40c273ac02Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000After a leadership retreat, the Linda Mwananchi movement said in a statement that Sifuna would be its leader and 2027 presidential candidate, that he would unveil the party on whose ticket he would run in early October and that it would seek a coalition with like-minded parties. Capital FM reported that Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Rigathi Gachagua's party were not represented.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e15sifuna-ruto-e48601df20Sun, 13 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000At a Linda Mwananchi rally ending at Jacaranda grounds in Nairobi, Sifuna said Ruto would be Kenya's first one-term president and called him the biggest enemy of democracy, Citizen Digital reported. AFP reported that armed gangs had disrupted earlier Sifuna rallies and cited Human Rights Watch as saying six people had been killed in attacks on political and civil society gatherings in recent months.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e14sifuna-ruto-e0ba6b97f1Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000The Standard and The Star reported that the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal dismissed Sifuna's challenge to his removal. They reported that it rejected his objection to the National Executive Committee's authority to appoint the disciplinary panel and found that he had received an opportunity to be heard. This outcome concerns the later disciplinary process, distinct from the earlier removal without a hearing.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e13sifuna-ruto-c279b6847eMon, 22 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000ODM's National Executive Committee removed Sifuna as secretary-general, adopting the recommendations of a party dispute committee, and acting secretary-general Catherine Omanyo announced the decision. The Star reported that days earlier the tribunal had ruled the February resolution invalid to the extent that it removed him without a fair hearing, while allowing ODM to conclude disciplinary proceedings. Al Jazeera reported that Sifuna had opposed closer cooperation with Ruto.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e12sifuna-ruto-cf8a55cffaThu, 26 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal struck out Sifuna's complaint, saying it lacked jurisdiction until the party's internal dispute process had been tried, and said his removal should not be filed with the Registrar of Political Parties meanwhile. People Daily reported that ODM had told the tribunal in an affidavit that its February resolution was not final.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e11sifuna-ruto-e9f7f6d7d3Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000Before a Linda Mwananchi rally in Kakamega on February 21, a man was killed by a mob in Mbale, Vihiga County, during clashes between rival supporters, Citizen Digital and People Daily reported.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e10sifuna-ruto-74ce46c71aWed, 18 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000Speaking in Nakuru County, Murkomen said police had not been informed of the Kitengela rally, that it was held on a market day and that organisers had brought in groups, from Machakos and Nairobi according to Citizen Digital. Kenyans.co.ke reported that Sifuna told the Senate he had notified Murkomen of a later rally in Kakamega.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e9sifuna-ruto-e9b5285e8fSun, 15 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000Police dispersed a Linda Mwananchi rally in Kitengela and an attendee was reported killed, The Star and Citizen Digital reported. In a February 26 Senate statement, Sifuna alleged that police disrupted the February 15 gathering and fatally shot an attendee, and requested an account of the deployment, use of force and investigations. His statement records an allegation and a request for scrutiny, not an investigative finding.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e8sifuna-ruto-ce8fbb2368Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000The Council of Governors accused Sifuna of extortion, according to The Standard and Kenyans.co.ke. On February 12 he denied the allegations and challenged the governors to produce evidence. The allegations are not a finding of wrongdoing.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e7sifuna-ruto-ad0a396895Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000ODM's National Executive Committee resolved on February 11 to remove Sifuna as secretary-general. Chairperson Gladys Wanga said 34 of 40 members attended and that indiscipline cannot be mistaken for democracy. Sifuna called the decision illegal and linked it to his opposition to backing Ruto. The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal then stayed the resolution pending the hearing of his application, The Star and Citizen Digital reported on February 12.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e6sifuna-ruto-e90ff9baffSun, 03 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000Speaking in Trans Nzoia, Sifuna said he would not read an ODM resolution endorsing Ruto for 2027 and would not be part of that decision, The Star and K24 reported. Both reports record his defence of members' right to express independent views.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e5sifuna-ruto-8395de0c9bWed, 23 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei said in a post on X that Sifuna was misleading the nation, that ODM had a working partnership with the Kenya Kwanza government, that Ruto and Odinga would work beyond 2027 and that Sifuna should leave, The Star and TV47 reported.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e4sifuna-ruto-03faf43a9eTue, 22 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000In a Citizen TV interview Sifuna said the memorandum with Ruto's party died when Albert Ojwang died in police custody. In the Senate on June 10, 2026, he confirmed that he had declared the memorandum dead on July 22, 2025, and linked his criticism to delays in implementing it.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e2sifuna-ruto-12ea84d296Sat, 12 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000At the burial of George Oduor, Odinga's long-serving security aide, at Ramba in Siaya County, Sifuna urged Ruto to act against officials he said had interfered with Butere Girls High School's play Echoes of War at the national drama festival.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e3sifuna-ruto-1d2d82dde5Sat, 12 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000Replying at the same event, Ruto told Sifuna to go slowly, said he was a founder of ODM and joked that he could convene the party's founders to discipline him. Citizen Digital described the exchange as light in tone but pointed. Ruto did not address the school play.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e0sifuna-ruto-005954caf2Thu, 25 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000A day after Ruto nominated four ODM figures, among them John Mbadi and Opiyo Wandayi, to his Cabinet, Sifuna told Citizen TV the party had not recommended them, that they would serve in their individual capacity and that he expected them to resign their party posts before vetting.https://howitunfolded.com/rivalries/sifuna-ruto/#e1sifuna-ruto-c53b9d61bdThu, 25 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, whom The Star described as a close ally of Ruto, replied in a post on X that Sifuna was free to join Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka in building an opposition, The Star and People Daily reported.