Mumias East Member of Parliament (MP) has advised Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna to step down as Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party’s secretary general after President William Ruto’s tough lecture on Saturday, April 12, 2025.
In a statement, Salasya advised Sifuna that it is impossible to oppose the same government that a party supports, affirming that ODM is nearly finished.
“Edwin Sifuna, my brother from Western, come back home! Step down as ODM SG. You can’t oppose a gov’t your party sleeps with. ODM’s days are fading, & so are yours if you stay,” he wrote.
Ruto had blasted Sifuna reminding him of his position in the ODM party after his remarks on his administration’s reaction to the Butere Girls play saga.
Addressing the vocal senator at the funeral of Raila Odinga’s longtime bodyguard George Oduor, Ruto asked Sifuna to watch his tone when airing out issues relating to him.
He went on to remind the senator that he holds influence in ODM as one of the founding members, therefore, he could take disciplinary action against him, should he continue his sustained criticism.
“Nimesikia Sifuna anaongea na nguvu. Wakati unaongea mambo yangu, Sifuna, ujue mimi ni muanzilishi wa ODM, so unaenda pole pole kidogo. Sisi ndio tulianza hii kitu. Na unajua, ukinisukuma sana, nitaitisha mkutano ya founding fathers wa ODM. Tunaweza kukufanyia discipline sisi ambao tulianzisha chama,” Ruto said.
Loosely translates to;
“I’ve heard Sifuna speaking forcefully. When you’re talking about my issues, Sifuna, you should know that I am a founding member of ODM, so take it a bit easy. We are the ones who started this thing. And you know, if you push me too far, I will call a meeting of the founding fathers of ODM. We, who founded the party, can discipline you.”
Sifuna had criticized Ruto’s administration over the manner in which it handled the Butere Girls’ play scandal witnessed in Nakuru.
The senator who was addressing the president at the same event, called on him to take prompt action against those involved in the teargassing of the students, expressing that they were undermining his leadership by creating unnecessary chaos.
“Kuna watu kwa serikali yako kazi yao ni kushika handball kila siku. Sasa kama hii drama yote tumeona Nakuru, ati watoto wanakatazwa kufanya mchezo, sijui wanapigwa teargas, sijui wanafukuzwa, hiyo ni mwiba wa kujidunga. Mheshimiwa Rais, wale wanafanya kazi yako ikuwe ngumu, read them the Riot Act kwa sababu tunajua kazi yako ni ngumu; wasifanye ikuwe ngumu zaidi,” Sifuna said.
Loosely translates to;
“There are people in your government whose main work is touching handballs every day. For instance the drama we witnessed in Nakuru, where students were barred from performing a play and later teargassed, is a self-inflicted pain. For those making your more difficult as already is, read to them the Riot Act.”