Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Dr Oburu Oginga has criticised Nairobi Senator and former ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna over his experience in elective politics, while dismissing the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) as a political outfit closely associated with its leader, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Speaking during an interview on TV47’s Ukumbi wa Siasa show hosted by Elizabeth Mutuku, Oburu described Sifuna as intelligent but said his experience in elective politics remained limited.
“Sifuna is a young man who is intelligent, but in terms of elective politics, he is a first-termer,” Oburu said.
He added that Sifuna still had more to learn about the challenges of political contests.
“He still has a lot to learn in the rough political terrain,” Oburu stated.
Oburu also weighed in on the DCP, saying he viewed the party as heavily dependent on Gachagua.
“I don’t know DCP Party. I only know that it belongs to Gachagua,” he said.
The ODM leader argued that political parties built around individual personalities could struggle to survive beyond their founders.
“If he’s not there, there’s no DCP. These are parties which are transient; they just come and go,” Oburu said.
Oburu defends ODM disciplinary action
Oburu also addressed disagreements within ODM, saying the party had disciplined some members for taking positions contrary to its agreed political direction.
“As a party, what we did was just to discipline one or two members who were not supportive of the party position,” he said.
He, however, insisted that the party had not expelled any of its members and maintained that ODM would not be destabilised by dissenting voices.
“We have not expelled anybody from the party, but we are not shaken by any dissenting voices,” he stated.
‘I am also a Gen Z’
Turning to his relationship with younger voters, Oburu said he believed members of Generation Z also identified with him.
“The Gen Zs also identify with me,” he said, before adding humorously: “I am also a Gen Z.”
His remarks come as political parties and leaders continue to court younger voters, particularly the Generation Z demographic, which has emerged as an increasingly influential constituency in Kenya’s political landscape.
