Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has penned an emotional birthday message to Siaya Senator James Orengo, offering more than just warm wishes. His words carried history, loyalty, and deep political respect.

“I am honored to know you and privileged to learn at your feet. It is an inexplicable twist of history that I now get to stand beside you as a comrade in the struggle for a better Kenya!”

This is not just a birthday greeting. It is a public acknowledgement of mentorship and shared conviction.

In his message, Sifuna also referenced his uncle Lawrence, drawing a quiet but powerful connection between past and present generations of reformists. For many Kenyans, Orengo represents a bridge between eras, from the days of detention and resistance during the one-party state to the constitutional battles that reshaped the country’s democratic space.

“Mimi yangu ni kukuombea maisha marefu,” Sifuna wrote, praying for a long life. In a political environment often defined by short careers and shifting loyalties, longevity speaks to resilience.

James Orengo has built a reputation as one of Kenya’s most fearless legal and political minds.

In the current political landscape of the country heading into the 2027 General Election, Sifuna and Orengo belong to the faction of ODM that is opposed to the re-election of President William Ruto, fondly referred to as ‘ODM Linda Mwananchi’.

Leaders of ‘ODM Linda Mwananchi’ say that they represent the interests of Kenyans, in the spirit of former party leader the late Raila Odinga, while lambasting their colleagues of ‘ODM Linda Ground’ of being driven by selfish interests.