Raila’s hidden hand in Sifuna Ruto attack

By Wanderi Kamau

A fiery political storm is brewing following ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna’s scathing attack on President William Ruto during the burial of Raila Odinga’s long-time aide George Oduor in Rarieda, Siaya County, on Saturday, 12 April.

The blistering remarks, which touched on devolution, education, and ODM’s dwindling funds, have triggered speculation about whether the outspoken Nairobi Senator was acting independently—or with the tacit approval of ODM party leader Raila Odinga.

Sifuna pulled no punches in his speech, accusing the Kenya Kwanza government of undermining devolution and deliberately strangling opposition parties financially.

“We are aware that ODM’s funding has been slashed by Sh42 million. This is political sabotage meant to weaken us,” Sifuna charged, his voice rising above murmurs of approval from the mourners.

But it was not just party finances that drew his ire. The recent controversy surrounding the Butere Girls High School play Echoes of the War, which was accused by government operatives of depicting Kenya Kwanza’s poor governance, also came up.

“We are now at a point where school children cannot express themselves artistically without threats of punishment from State House,” Sifuna added. “That’s not democracy, that’s dictatorship.”

Devolution: The political battleground

It is, however, Sifuna’s passionate rebuke of the Ruto-Raila memorandum on devolution that has attracted the most attention. Despite the public perception of détente between Raila and Ruto following their high-profile engagements, including talks on the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO), Sifuna took a different route.

“How do we go from Sh450 billion to Sh405 billion for counties, and call that progress?” he asked. “Devolution is being murdered in broad daylight.”

Interestingly, Raila, in his own address at the funeral, echoed similar sentiments on devolution. “When we were fighting to get the 2010 Constitution, there were people who opposed it because of devolution,” Raila said. “Devolution was an important cog in this Constitution. However, it is still not working properly.”

He continued, “If devolution were to be allowed to work properly, we could see its fruits. Go to Germany and see how a devolved system works. Let us devolve funds to the counties. I told the MPs, give the NG-CDF back to the counties—not to MPs. Your Excellency, MPs have no business constructing roads. Their roles are clearly stated: representation, legislation, and oversight.”

Raila’s remarks were seen by many as reinforcing Sifuna’s criticisms, particularly when he warned that if the government fails to act on devolution, “we shall make it an election subject.”

‘Sifuna did not act alone’

While Sifuna may have been the most direct in his confrontation, political observers say the ODM Secretary-General was unlikely to have acted alone.

“Sifuna cannot make such a bold, aggressive statement against the president without Raila’s knowledge,” said political analyst Javas Bigambo. “In ODM, the SG does not freelance at a high-profile function like that—especially not in Siaya, and certainly not at the funeral of Raila’s aide.”

Another analyst, Prof Macharia Munene, echoed that view: “If Raila didn’t want those remarks made, he could have stopped Sifuna either before or after the speech. The fact that both of them addressed the same issues—particularly the devolution budget cuts—suggests a coordinated message.”

Adding to the intrigue are reports from the funeral itself. According to sources who spoke to Newsflash, there were calculated efforts to bar MPs from speaking at the burial. “Sifuna and George Wajackoyah were reportedly sneaked in, indicating that not everyone had free access to the podium,” the source claimed. “This was a curated event.”

President Ruto, when asked about the criticism, dismissed it as political noise.

“We made the agreement on county allocations with all parties present, including ODM. If they have changed their mind now, that’s a political issue, not a governance one,” he said at a separate event. “Let’s stop politicking and start delivering.”

“Raila is preparing for the long game,” said an ODM insider. “If the Kenya Kwanza government fails to honor the spirit of devolution, ODM is ready to strike—and this funeral was just the beginning.”

According to political analysts, Sifuna’s speech was not an isolated outburst, but a strategic salvo against Ruto.