Wiper Secretary-General Hon. Sen. Judith Sijeny Response to ODM’s Sifuna
From wiper.co.ke
My attention has been drawn to a statement attributed to Mr. Edwin Sifuna, the Secretary General of the Orange Democratic Movement touching on the character of Wiper Party Leader Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka.
That statement by Mr. Sifuna, which was in response to a story appearing in the Sunday Nation today, is in extremely bad taste as it appears to have been tailored to cast aspersions on the character of Hon. Kalonzo. The tone and language used therein is totally unbefitting of a person holding the title of a Secretary General of any political party, leave alone the Orange Democratic Movement which is led by no less a person than the well respected Hon. Raila Odinga.
Hon. Kalonzo has been Raila’s running mate twice — in 2013 and in 2017. Both are senior politicians who hold immense respect towards each other. It comes as a shock to me and the entire Wiper fraternity, therefore, to see the shameless, unwarranted attack against Hon. Kalonzo from a man who is so politically junior to him and who, for all intents and purposes, should defer to Hon. Kalonzo, owing to the latter’s immense political, leadership, and diplomatic experience.
The story in question had clearly stated that Hon. Kalonzo talked of a deal between him and Hon. Raila, not between Hon. Kalonzo and ODM. This means that the two senior politicians may have made a deal without the knowledge of any other members or officials of the party. I have a reason to strongly believe that Sifuna did not seek the views of Hon. Raila before putting pen to paper.
Sifuna also talks about the three Ukambani Governors. I put it to him that the three Governors have very little influence on the voting patterns in Ukambani. He should just study the voting trends of the region since 2007, which should inform him that any politician outside Úkambani region banking on the support of any (or all) of the three Governors to win the Ukambani voting block in the absence of Hon. Kalonzo, will be in for a very rude surprise. Hon. Raila tried it with Hon. Charity Ngilu in 2007 and saw the results. Hon. Alfred Mutua tried in 2017 and saw the results. On the contrary, when Hon. Kalonzo decided to support Hon. Raila in 2013 and 2017, Kambas gave Hon. Raila more votes than even the Luo voters did.
In summary, therefore, I urge Sifuna and his ilk to tame their antagonistic grandstanding, which many feel could be too costly to ODM by consigning it into a tribal block it was in 1997.
Such uncouth and untempered language by Sifuna only helps to portray him as a juvenile delinquent who is doing more harm than good to ODM.
Kenyans are watching.
HON. SEN. JUDITH SIJENY
SECRETARY GENERAL
