Editor's Review

"We don't begrudge them. I wish them well." 

ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has sensationally claimed that the ODM Cabinet Secretary nominees in President William Ruto's broad-based cabinet have no blessings of the orange party. 

Speaking in an interview with Citizen TV on Thursday, July 25, Sifuna asserted that the nominees were joining the government in individual capacities.

"Our ODM priorities have never changed. We are a pro-people party. They (ODM CS nominees) do not have the blessings of the party. The proposition that we gave a party is that they are going to join the government in their individual capacities and we don't begrudge them. I wish them well," Sifuna remarked.

The Nairobi senator further claimed that the Raila Odinga-led party had not joined the government, adding that there was no decision by any party organ for four ODM CS nominees to join the government.

"ODM has not joined the government. As the Secretary General of ODM, I sit in all organs of the party and as SG of ODM, I am the spokesperson of all those organs of the party. There is no decision of any organ of ODM that I sit in to join the Ruto government," he added.

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ODM Leader Raila Odinga with ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna.

Despite Sifuna's allegations, it had already emerged that Raila Odinga had agreed with President Ruto on the formation of a broad-based government. 

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Homabay Town MP Peter Kaluma disclosed that the ODM leader had sent names to the Head of State for consideration in the cabinet.

He noted that the ODM party had met before and resolved that the names be considered for cabinet positions.

"I don't want confusion someone saying that if members of the ODM party are appointed to the government, they are going on their own. We met and resolved so. I want to congratulate Ruto for the cabinet appointments. As soon as tomorrow, we want to see all the other cabinet appointments Raila was to forward to Ruto. We want all of them approved," Kaluma stated.

On Wednesday, President Ruto appointed ODM chairman John Mbadi, Hassan Joho (deputy party leader), Wycliffe Oparanya (deputy party leader) and Opiyo Wandayi (National Assembly minority leader) to the cabinet.