NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 20 – Edwin Sifuna, the Nairobi Senator, is widely regarded by his supporters as an eloquent leader who effectively articulates his arguments, whether in the Senate chamber or during media appearances.
Since assuming office as the third Senator of Kenya’s capital city, he has consistently elicited admiration and criticism in public discussions.
As a lawyer by profession, Sifuna is known for his unwavering commitment to expressing his viewpoints, a quality that has established him as a moral figure within the opposition ranks.
Nevertheless, some detractors have accused him of disrespecting his government counterparts during Senate debates and particularly in media interviews. Sifuna refutes these allegations.
“I do not go on shows to fight my colleagues or paint them in bad light. I go to shows to just have a conversation, it is not about me and that is an objective truth,” Sifuna said during an interview on Capital in the Morning on Monday with host Maqbul Mohammed.
In his contributions on the Senate floor, Sifuna frequently engages in heated debates with his counterparts from the government side, and at times challenges Speaker Amason Kingi regarding House rules.
In media interviews, Sifuna, positioning himself as an advocate for the marginalized, frequently confronts government officials on contentious matters such as the escalating cost of living and the administration’s taxation policies.
“I don’t aim to humiliate individuals on television. I don’t inquire about who will be on the opposing side when I’m invited to media stations because my purpose isn’t to engage in personal debates but to address issues,” he stated.
He further stressed, “I’m not hogging the media space; it’s open to all in this nation.”
Although his detractors have criticized him for dedicating excessive attention to media appearances, thus potentially diverting focus from his responsibilities in representation and oversight, Sifuna holds a contrary stance. He asserts that he does not actively seek out media interviews.
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“I do not send myself to shows. I am called for interviews. And when I honor the invite, I attend to engage on issues,” he said.
While he stood by his approach of “truthfully” presenting his arguments, he criticized his government colleagues for engaging in hypocrisy to appease their masters.
Sifuna pointed to examples like Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, who serves as the Senate Majority Whip and is expected to align with government positions.
The firebrand Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party Secretary General alleged that Khalwale privately tends to agree with him on issues but publicly supports the government’s stance.
“I have a lot of respect for my colleagues and when you talk to them they understand the shared viewpoint that our politics is what mars people’s vision of things. Those people when the cameras go off they speak the way that I do,” he said.
