The simmering tensions within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) have exploded into open warfare, with Kakamega Woman Representative Elsie Muhanda claiming ousted Secretary General Edwin Sifuna was denied a fair hearing.

The night of the long knives has come to Chungwa House. On Wednesday, the ODM National Executive Committee (NEC) summarily removed the firebrand Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna from his powerful perch as Secretary General. He has been replaced, in an acting capacity, by Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo.

But the backlash has been swift and furious. Leading the charge is Elsie Muhanda, a key ally of Sifuna, who has decried the process as a "kangaroo court" orchestrated to silence dissenters who oppose the party's cozy relationship with President Ruto's administration.

The "Kenya Moja" Rebellion

Sifuna's crime? Consistently opposing the "broad-based" government deal struck between President Ruto and ODM. Sifuna has been the face of the "Kenya Moja" faction, a group of rebel MPs vowing to ensure Ruto serves only one term—a stance that directly contradicts the new collaborative tone set by ODM Party Leader Oburu Oginga.

"Sifuna was never given a fair hearing," Muhanda stormed. "You cannot remove a democratically elected official in a boardroom coup just because he refuses to sing the hymn of the day." Her defense highlights the deep ideological rift tearing the 20-year-old party apart: is ODM the opposition, or is it a junior partner in government?

The Indiscipline Charge

The official NEC statement cited "rising levels of indiscipline" and accused Sifuna of being a stumbling block to party cohesion. Treasury CS John Mbadi, a former ODM Chair, had publicly called for Sifuna's expulsion, arguing he could not serve two masters. The final straw appears to have been Sifuna's public criticism of the party's "greed" in joining the government.

• Ousted: Edwin Sifuna (Nairobi Senator).
• New Acting SG: Catherine Omanyo (Busia Woman Rep).
• The Charge: Gross misconduct and undermining party leadership.
• The Defender: Elsie Muhanda (Kakamega Woman Rep).

A Party at a Crossroads

This purge sends a chilling message to other dissenters like Babu Owino. With the late Raila Odinga no longer there to balance the factions, Oburu Oginga is moving quickly to consolidate control and align the party with the government's agenda.

For Sifuna, a man known for his eloquence and sharp tongue, this may not be the end. Stripped of the party machinery, he is now a free agent in the Senate, potentially more dangerous to the coalition from the outside than he was from within.

"They have removed the man, but they cannot remove the truth. We are the opposition, and we will not apologize for it," Muhanda vowed, signaling that the battle for the soul of ODM is far from over.