"If You Are Truly Baba's Son, Why Are You Disrespecting His Brother?" Esther Passaris Boldly Questions Sifuna

Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris sharply criticizes Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, questioning his allegiance to the Odinga legacy and accusing him of showing disrespect towards Raila Odinga’s brother and the current ODM party leader, Dr. Oburu Oginga.

Passaris, a committed ODM supporter, did not hold back in her recent statements, which have since spread widely across social media platforms. 

“It is disappointing to witness one of Baba’s sons displaying disrespect toward Baba’s brother and our Party Leader, Dr. Oburu Oginga,” she wrote on Facebook.

“Any genuine follower or close associate of Baba would recognize that Dr. Oburu served as Baba’s most trusted confidant and advisor. Real adherents of Baba’s principles know that he always addressed others with respect, whether dealing with seniors or equals.”

She added firmly: “When I look at Sifuna, if he were truly a son of Baba, he would understand exactly where Baba positioned him.”

The remarks come against the backdrop of a fierce internal power struggle that has engulfed the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) following the passing of its founder, Raila Odinga commonly referred to as Baba who died on October 15, 2025, at the age of 80 while undergoing treatment in India.

After his death, Oburu Oginga was formally endorsed as the new ODM party leader during a Special Delegates Convention, with the party calling for unity under the banner “Mbele Pamoja” (Forward Together).

The conflict escalated in February 2026 when the ODM National Executive Committee (NEC), under Oburu’s chairmanship, removed Sifuna from his position as Secretary General with immediate effect.

The committee accused Sifuna of ignoring party protocols, failing to communicate joint decisions, and openly opposing the party’s 10-point agenda as well as the broad-based government cooperation with President William Ruto. Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo was named as the acting Secretary General.

Sifuna contested the decision in court and obtained a temporary injunction preventing his official removal. Nevertheless, the divisions deepened significantly last week.

On March 27, 2026, while Oburu Oginga led the party’s official Special Delegates Meeting, Sifuna and his supporters including members of the Linda Mwananchi group convened a rival gathering at Ufungamano House in Nairobi.