Catherine Omanyo: I was very idle serving as Sifuna’s deputy

Busia County Woman Representative and ODM Acting Secretary General Catherine Omanyo has said she often felt inactive while serving as deputy to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.

Speaking during a televised interview on Monday, March 30, 2026, Omanyo claimed that Sifuna rarely delegated duties to her, making her role less engaging.

She described Sifuna as someone who preferred handling most responsibilities on his own, adding that this limited her involvement in party duties.

“I used to feel quite idle while serving as Sifuna’s deputy because he did not delegate tasks to me. He was someone who believed he could handle everything himself,” she said.

Omanyo further explained that she often chose to remain in the background to avoid creating conflict or hurting her then-boss’s pride.

The remarks come at a time of ongoing leadership changes and tension within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), where Sifuna previously held the position of Secretary General before Omanyo stepped in as acting SG.

The matter has also been under dispute after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) recently directed that internal party mechanisms be exhausted before further legal action is taken.

Sifuna has maintained that he cannot serve under what he terms as poor leadership within the party, including the current leadership structure under ODM party leader Oburu Odinga. He has insisted he will not continue in the Secretary General role under the current arrangement.

At the same time, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, who was removed as Deputy Party Leader, has stated that he will not challenge his removal in court, saying he will instead accept his position within the party’s changes.

Meanwhile, lawyer and political analyst Paul Mwangi, who has previously worked closely with former ODM leader Raila Odinga, has weighed in on the matter. He suggested that Sifuna represented a more hardline or “militant” side of Raila’s political strategy, while other leaders represented a more diplomatic approach.

Mwangi further argued that such internal dynamics could have been part of Raila’s broader political strategy during negotiations with President William Ruto’s administration.

The ODM leadership changes continue to spark debate as the party works through internal disagreements and restructuring.