NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 22 – Suna East Member of Parliament Junet Mohamed says there is no rift between him and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, terming their public exchanges as a mere divergence of opinion that does not threaten unity within the party.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on JKL show, Junet who is also the National Assembly Minority Leader said the differences between senior party figures should not be mistaken for personal hostility or factional warfare.
“No, nothing serious. It’s a divergence of opinion. He believes that way, I believe in this way. Nothing personal,” Junet said.
The MP insisted that internal debate remains part of democratic party culture but maintained that individual views must ultimately give way to collective decisions once party organs make a determination.
“The decision of the party will prevail in the end. We can have different opinions, you can say this way, I say that way. But when the party decides, that’s what Baba taught us. We will all abide by it,” he said, referring to ODM party leader Raila Odinga.
The remarks come amid renewed debate within ODM over succession politics and the party’s long-term leadership direction, with some leaders drawing parallels with past splits in Kenya’s opposition movements.
However, Junet rejected comparisons with the 1990s fallout between Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Kenneth Matiba, arguing that the current political environment and constitutional framework leave little room for parallel power centres.
“That time they separated because Matiba wanted to run for president and Jaramogi was running for president. Now, who is running for president? Our Constitution is very clear. If we were to run someone, we could only run Oburu Odinga. He’s the presidential candidate because that’s what the Constitution says. So, the rest are just giving opinions,” he said.
Junet also dismissed claims that ODM lost past elections due to internal betrayal, instead blaming voter behaviour in some regions for the late Raila Odinga’s defeat.
Despite the public exchanges, Junet maintained that ideological differences should not be mistaken for disloyalty, insisting that ODM remains intact and guided by collective decisions rather than individual ambitions.
“I didn’t take agents’ money. If Baba won the election, I would be a big man in this country. Baba lost the elections because people with surnames like yours didn’t vote for him,” he said.
Earlier this Sifuna launched a blistering attack on Junet, accusing him of hypocrisy and misusing funds donated by Uhuru to support Raila’s campaign.
In a fiery address, Sifuna reminded ODM supporters that Raila recorded his strongest-ever performance in the Mt. Kenya region in 2022, garnering over one million votes; a feat he attributed in large part to Uhuru’s backing.
Sifuna openly thanked the former President for bankrolling the campaign, saying much of the money ODM used came directly from Uhuru.
He directly accused Junet of now pretending that Uhuru’s money was “dirty”, despite having benefited from it at the time.
Sifuna went ahead to accuse Junet of pocketing campaign funds instead of paying agents, leading to Raila’s defeat in key battlegrounds.
He alleged that agents were abandoned on election day, allowing rivals to sail to victory, and went as far as to claim that but for Junet’s actions, ODM would be in government today.
The outspoken lawmaker also dismissed suggestions that he could be disciplined or expelled from the party, insisting that ODM’s position remains unchanged: that Raila never endorsed President William Ruto for re-election in 2027.
