Ruth Odinga defends Sifuna, insists Ruto gov’t sponsoring ODM rallies

Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga now claims the government is funding the ODM Linda Ground rallies in order to control and force the party to support President William Ruto in next year’s General Election.
This comes as the ODM party fired back at retired President Uhuru Kenyatta over changes effected at the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya summit, saying the former president overstepped his mandate by overseeing irregular changes.

“I can state authoritatively that the money you see being spent in those rallies does not come from ODM HQ,” said ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna on a Citizen TV interview on Tuesday.

It is this statement by Sifuna that has stirred controversy.

Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga, who took to her social media platforms in defence of Sifuna, called out those who have been attacking him as hypocritical cowards.

“Those with the answers, why can’t you provide them? Are governors funding the campaigns? Are MPs doing it from the CDF kitty? Did we get a philanthropist that a party SG is not aware of who is funding the clearly expensive public fora? And what is in it for the ‘philanthropist’?” posed Ruth Odinga.

In her statement, Ruth, who is the sister of former ODM party leader Raila Odinga, questioned the source of the millions of shillings being spent on the ODM Linda Ground rallies, fronted by the pro-broad-based team faction of the party.

The Woman Representative raised concern over the sponsors of the ODM events, which have seen large sums of money go toward hiring helicopters, large tents, and ODM-branded T-shirts and caps.

“The government has the option of releasing the funds to the party, but when that happens, they will lack control. So, they must be the ones controlling the show, where they decide who is ‘invited’ to the Linda Ground tents, and what they say once they get there,” she claimed.

Ruth further alleged that the government was bankrolling the rallies in order to control the narrative and muffle opposing voices to the “Tutaam” chorus.

“If President Ruto does not honour an agreement he signed with a man he said helped him steady a ship called Kenya that was sinking following the Gen-Z protests, how sure are you that he will honour the pre-election pact you are all talking about? Will he use a different signature?” she posed.

The Kisumu Woman Representative concluded by casting doubt on President William Ruto’s commitment to uphold his end of the bargain in the ongoing pre-election pact with ODM, saying he had failed to implement the 10-point agenda he signed with Raila Odinga last year.

The statement comes two days after Sifuna stated that the party, which is reeling from a Ksh.12 billion debt, had not drawn any funds from its accounts since November last year.

“The last money we expended as ODM officially was in the celebrations in Mombasa, and it was a fraction of what is being used,” said Sifuna.

This comes as the ODM Party, through a letter signed by Executive Director Oduor Ong’wen, dismissed recent changes to the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition political party, effected by Azimio Council Chairman, retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, as null and void for lacking the inclusion of all constituent Azimio parties.

In a letter addressed to the Registrar of Political Parties John Cox Lorianokou, the party wants the decision by Kenyatta frozen and suspended, maintaining that ODM party leader Dr Oburu Oginga was not consulted in the decision as required under the Azimio deed of agreement.