Editor's Review

Atwoli is disturbed that Sifuna is openly defying his boss and no disciplinary action is taken against him.

Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) secretary general Francis Atwoli now wants ODM leader Raila Odinga to crack the whip on wayward party members. 

He particularly called for action against Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, whom he accused of openly defying his boss regarding the support for the broad-based government.

Atwoli wondered why Sifuna was being spared, yet he was not toeing the line of the party.

"I want to tell my in-law, Raila Odinga, to tell Sifuna to leave if he is tired of ODM. He should stop defying Raila and his party when he is still inside. He should not purport to speak for the Luhya community. We had Martine Shikuku, who ran KANU so well as the secretary general. We want such leaders. We don't want restless leaders who pretend to know it all while in the real sense they don't," Atwoli said. 

This came days after Raila defended Sifuna against harsh criticism within the party.

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He said that every party member has the right to express their opinion.

Speaking in Kakamega on Friday, July 25, Raila urged party members to engage in open dialogue rather than suppress differing views.

ODM leader Raila Odinga with secretary general Edwin Sifuna.

Raila clarified that ODM does not muzzle voices within the party even when it involves challenging his own decisions. 

Sifuna has been under fire from a section of ODM stalwarts over his tough stance against the broad-based government.

In an explosive television interview, Sifuna said the arrangement between Raila and Ruto was not auguring well for the ODM party, which he said had been known to agitate for good governance and the rights of Kenyans.

Sifuna suggested that the party was growing unpopular by the day due to the association with the current regime in power.

His position irked a section of party members who launched epithets against him.

They asked him to quit if he no longer believes in the party and its undertakings.

On his part, Sifuna stayed put, saying he can only quit if the top leadership asks him to step aside.

Otherwise, he would remain in his post unperturbed.

Meanwhile, ODM members from Western Kenya vowed to defend Sifuna against the attacks from the Nyanza siblings.

They threatened to quit the party should Sifuna be pushed out.